Swedish Space Corporation enables critical tracking and communication for lunar mission

Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 7:11 a.m. CET on Wednesday, 15 January, the Blue Ghost lunar lander is expected to reach the Moon in early March. SSC’s ground stations will support the lander throughout its 45-day transit and during its operational period on the lunar surface.

SSC is the exclusive supplier of satellite ground station networks for the mission. “We provide all the antennas required to track and communicate with the lander throughout the mission,” said Nick Priborsky, President of SSC’s Connect division. The company’s ground stations in Santiago, Hawaii, and Australia, along with two partner stations, will ensure continuous communication coverage.

The Blue Ghost lander will deliver ten science and technology payloads to Mare Crisium, a basin on the Moon’s surface. SSC’s tracking services will play a critical role in the navigation of the spacecraft, ensuring precise positioning and timely data transmission. Will Coogan, Chief Engineer of Firefly’s Blue Ghost, emphasised SSC’s contribution: “SSC’s reliable global network provides the pass coverage and communications performance required for the mission.”

After landing on the Moon, the Blue Ghost will operate its payloads for approximately 14 Earth days. During this time, SSC’s ground stations will facilitate the transmission of high-priority science data back to Earth. The data will include insights into regolith behaviour, space weather effects, and technological demonstrations such as radiation-tolerant computing and lunar dust mitigation.

As a trusted partner to Firefly Aerospace, SSC is committed to delivering reliable communication links for this and future lunar missions. Priborsky concluded, “We are proud to be a part of Blue Ghost Mission 1 and to support the return to the Moon by providing critical services between Earth and space.”