Space probe reveals stunning view of Earth from Moon's back
A private probe has filmed the back of the Moon (photo: Flickr)
The Blue Ghost private space probe, part of NASA's CLPS program, continues its mission to explore the Moon. During recent maneuvers, the spacecraft transmitted new footage from the back of the satellite and set a record by capturing GPS signals for the first time at a record distance from Earth, according to the popular science website IFLScience.
What Blue Ghost mission includes
Blue Ghost plans to make a soft landing in the Sea of Crises on March 2, where it will deliver 10 scientific instruments. Before that, the probe will perform a series of maneuvers to enter the low lunar orbit. Earlier, the device transmitted video footage from the back of the Earth's satellite.
“Blue Ghost’s third and final lunar orbit maneuver is complete! Early this morning, the Firefly team performed a 16-second burn with our RCS thrusters to enter a near-circular low lunar orbit,” the mission representatives said.
Blue Ghost carries NASA instruments that will study heat flows in the Moon's interior, the interaction of particles with the surface, as well as magnetic and electric fields. In addition, the device will take X-ray images of the Earth's magnetosphere.
The mission will test new technologies, including the analysis of lunar regolith properties, testing of radiation-resistant computing systems and methods of dealing with lunar dust.
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Records and key experiments of Blue Ghost mission
One of the key experiments will be the observation of a total solar eclipse on March 14, when the Earth will cover the Sun above the lunar horizon. On March 16, Blue Ghost will record the horizon glow effect caused by the levitation of lunar dust.
This phenomenon, first recorded by astronaut Eugene Cernan during the Apollo 17 mission, could pose a threat to future expeditions, as charged dust can penetrate equipment and people's lungs.
The probe also set a new record: for the first time in history, the LuGRE experimental module detected GPS signals at a distance of 396 thousand kilometers from the Earth, which opens up the possibility of using satellite navigation systems to navigate on the way to the Moon and its surface.
After the landing, LuGRE will continue to operate for another 14 days and will try to set a new record - the first time it has ever picked up a GPS signal on the lunar surface. This will be an important step towards more accurate navigation for future missions.
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