Private US spaceship lands on Moon: mission control

AFP | Washington

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A US company successfully landed its spacecraft on the Moon on Sunday, marking only the second private mission to achieve the milestone -- and the first to do so upright.

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 touched down at 3:34 am US Eastern Time (0834 GMT) near Mons Latreille, a volcanic formation in Mare Crisium on the Moon’s northeastern near side.

The mission control team in Austin, Texas, erupted in cheers as CEO Jason Kim confirmed that the spacecraft was “stable and upright.”

That stood in stark contrast to the first private lunar landing last February, which toppled over upon arrival, dulling the achievement of being the first US Moon touchdown since the crewed Apollo 17 mission of 1972.

“We’re on the Moon!” exclaimed Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

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