Rocket Lab USA ( RKLB, Financials) announced its role in supporting Firefly Aerospaces Blue Ghost Mission 1, a lunar lander initiative under NASAs Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Starting its 45-day trip to the Moon, the business said it uses Rocket Lab's MAX Flight and MAX Ground Data Software packages to enable its operations.

Firefly Aerospace launches Blue Ghost Lunar Lander on a SpaceX rocket, embarking on a 45-day journey to conduct scientific experiments on the moon.

The spacecraft built and operated by Texas-based Firefly Aerospace launched in the early Monday hours from Florida aboard a SpaceX rocket.

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander launched at 1:11 a.m. Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the SpaceX rocket before separating an hour later. The lunar lander — part of a mission known as Blue Ghost Mission 1 or Ghost Riders in the Sky — will spend 45 days in orbit and 14 days on the surface of the moon.

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost mission to the moon has captured stunning video of the Earth eclipsing the sun, as seen from space.

Blue Ghost, a lunar lander carrying 10 NASA instruments, successfully executed its first main engine burn as part of its 45-day journey to the Moon. Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander is making steady progress on its journey to the Moon,