### NASA Gathers Lunar Heat Data for the First Time in Decades
The most recent occasion when NASA collected details on the thermal energy escaping from the Moon’s core was during the Apollo missions. Due to the fact that this information cannot be gathered from orbit, the study of lunar heat flow had largely been put on hold after only two measurements were recorded in the 1970s. Nonetheless, a shift occurred on March 2 when Firefly Aerospace, based in Texas, successfully landed its Blue Ghost spacecraft on the Moon.
The uncrewed lander, which is carrying ten NASA experiments, has now reached a historic achievement—gathering heat-flow data without human presence, relying entirely on robotic technology. Among these experiments is the Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity (LISTER), which has been drilling into the surface of the Moon. Mission controllers are monitoring its progress via a video feed sent back to Earth.
“By taking similar measurements at various locations on the lunar surface, we can reconstruct the Moon’s thermal evolution,” stated Seiichi Nagihara, a geophysics professor at Texas Tech University and the principal investigator for LISTER, in a statement from NASA.
The insights from this experiment will enhance understanding of the geological processes that have influenced the Moon throughout its 4.5 billion-year existence. Initially composed of molten rock, the Moon gradually cooled by expelling its internal heat into outer space.
### Firefly Aerospace’s Landmark Moon Landing
Firefly Aerospace stands out as the first company to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon in an upright and intact manner. This success is particularly noteworthy considering the difficulties associated with lunar landings. Just last week, Intuitive Machines, which was the first private entity to land on the Moon last year (albeit with a tilted lander), failed to even achieve that partial milestone again. Their Athena lander appeared to have toppled into a crater, misaligning its solar panels with the Sun, ultimately resulting in the mission’s early termination.
Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander, named after a rare type of firefly, is currently located in Mare Crisium, a lunar plain formed by ancient lava flows. It is situated near Mons Latreille, a volcanic feature found on the Moon’s near side.
NASA has allocated $101.5 million to Firefly for the development of the spacecraft and transfer of LISTER along with nine additional payloads to the Moon, as part of its **Commercial Lunar Payload Services** initiative. The space agency aims to create a consistent series of lunar missions in anticipation of astronaut-led **Artemis expeditions**, expected to commence in 2027 or later.
### LISTER’s Revolutionary Heat-Flow Measurements
Mounted below Blue Ghost’s lower deck, LISTER is engineered to measure the Moon’s internal heat flow utilizing an advanced pneumatic drill. Created by Texas Tech and Honeybee Robotics, this drill operates similarly to a jackhammer, utilizing compressed gas to power its drilling operation. A needle sensor positioned at the tip of the drill records temperature readings as it penetrates the lunar soil.
After every 1.5 feet, the drill halts to extend a thermal probe into the adjacent rock and dust. The device then captures two essential measurements: the **thermal gradient** (temperature changes at various depths) and **thermal conductivity** (the capability of the soil to conduct heat). The drill can achieve depths of nearly 10 feet beneath the surface.
“Instruments like LISTER aid us in understanding the Moon’s surface better and how we can reside there for extended periods, leveraging available resources,” commented Mike Selby, LISTER’s project manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
Firefly’s mission has now surpassed the halfway point and is anticipated to conclude shortly after the onset of lunar night.