More than half a century after astronauts first landed on the **moon**, making a successful landing there continues to be a **formidable challenge**.

On March 2, **Firefly Aerospace**, based in Texas, will try to accomplish this daunting task by piloting its robotic **Blue Ghost spacecraft** to land in **Mare Crisium**, a lava-filled basin located on the moon’s near side. As the mission approaches its final descent, the company has released stunning images of the lunar surface, echoing the “magnificent desolation” experienced by **NASA** astronaut **Buzz Aldrin** in 1969.

In the video below, accelerated by 10 times, the crater-dotted lunar surface is visible from **62 miles above**, with the spacecraft’s thruster apparent at the top center.

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*”That sensation you feel when you glance out the window and realize you’re nearly home! T-4 days until we land [on] the Moon,”* Firefly Aerospace shared on **X** on February 26.

The **6.6-foot-tall lander**, financed by NASA through its **Commercial Lunar Payload Services** initiative, is equipped with scientific instruments and experiments aimed at aiding NASA’s objective of creating a **sustained human presence** on the moon. These include **radiation-resistant computing tests** and **lunar regolith sampling**.

Nonetheless, landing on the moon presents a **significant challenge** due to its **lack of atmosphere**, which hinders natural deceleration. A spacecraft needs to perform a precise descent, utilizing thrusters to reduce speed while navigating a surface filled with craters and uneven ground. While **China** and **India** have recently achieved successful landings, the **U.S. commercial spacecraft Odysseus** encountered damage during its landing in 2024. That same year, a **Japanese lander** landed **upside down**.

If everything goes as planned, **Blue Ghost’s descent** will last only **one hour**. Upon a successful landing, the spacecraft is projected to carry out **scientific operations for 14 days**.

### **Preparing for Human Spaceflight**
These robotic missions are laying the groundwork for **human spaceflight**. NASA has plans to send astronauts to the moon in **mid-2027**, where they will spend an entire week investigating the **dark, shadowy craters** of the moon’s **south pole**.