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Lunar Lander's Near Miss: Spacecraft Dodge
12 Mar
Summary
- Blue Ghost lander, built by Firefly Aerospace, reached the moon.
- A near-collision with another spacecraft occurred just before landing.
- NASA's JPL monitors lunar orbit to prevent such potential crashes.
A year ago, the Blue Ghost robotic lander, constructed by Firefly Aerospace, achieved a historic touchdown on the lunar surface, signifying the first successful American lunar mission in over fifty years. The mission, however, experienced a startling moment of peril one day prior to its planned landing.
On March 1, 2025, the lander appeared to be on a collision course with another spacecraft in lunar orbit. This unexpected threat caused concern for the mission team, who noted the unlikelihood of such an event given the limited number of objects in orbit.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been actively tracking spacecraft in lunar and Martian orbits for the past 15 years. Their dedicated team monitors for potential orbital intersections, raising alerts to prevent catastrophic encounters between the few craft that share these celestial pathways.
