// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Crater
A bowl-shaped depression on the surface of a planet, moon, or asteroid, usually formed by the impact of a meteorite or volcanic activity.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A crater is a circular depression on a celestial body's surface, primarily formed by hypervelocity impacts from meteoroids, asteroids, or comets, or by volcanic eruptions, providing geological evidence of past events.
BACKGROUND
Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost, or simply Blue Ghost, is a class of lunar landers designed and manufactured by the American company Firefly Aerospace. Firefly builds and operates Blue Ghost landers to deliver small payloads to the surface of the Moon. The first Blue Ghost mission was launched in January, 2025. It successfully landed on the Moon on March 2, 2025. The landers are named after the firefly species Phausis reticulata, known as blue ghosts.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Impact basin
- impact structure
- depression
- caldera
USAGE NOTE
Craters are key features for dating planetary surfaces and studying impact mechanics.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Crater.
Develops and operates numerous spacecraft and missions that study, explore, and analyze craters on the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies for scientific research and resource prospecting, including technologies for landing and traversing cratered terrains.
Engages in planetary science missions that extensively map and study craters, develop technologies for observing impact events, and plan future missions to explore cratered surfaces on the Moon and Mars.
Conducts missions like Hayabusa2, which explored asteroid craters, and develops technology for lunar and planetary exploration that includes studying crater formation, composition, and potential resources within them.
Develops commercial lunar landers (Peregrine, Griffin) designed to deliver payloads to the Moon, often targeting specific cratered regions, particularly polar craters for water ice resource investigations and scientific exploration.
A private company developing lunar landers (Nova-C) and other technologies for lunar exploration, with missions aimed at delivering scientific and commercial payloads to the lunar surface, including potential landing sites within or near craters.
A major aerospace contractor that builds spacecraft and instruments for planetary science missions (e.g., Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, OSIRIS-REx) that map, analyze, and characterize craters across the solar system.
Designs and builds advanced robotic systems, drills, and sample acquisition tools essential for exploring and analyzing the regolith and subsurface within craters on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids.
A lunar exploration company developing landers and rovers for lunar resource prospecting and data acquisition, with a focus on understanding and utilizing resources found in lunar craters, especially permanently shadowed regions.
Aims to mine resources on the Moon using advanced robotic spacecraft, with plans that often involve operations in cratered regions, particularly for accessing water ice and other valuable materials.