// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Lunar
Relating to the Moon. This term is often used in the context of space missions or scientific studies of Earth's natural satellite.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Lunar refers to anything pertaining to Earth's natural satellite, the Moon, encompassing its geology, orbit, missions (e.g., Apollo), and potential future human settlements.
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
- Selenic
- moon-related
- cislunar
USAGE NOTE
Lunar missions are focused on understanding the Moon's origin and utilizing its resources for future space exploration.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Lunar.
The United States' space agency leading the Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on and around the Moon. NASA develops core technologies like the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft.
Selected by NASA to develop the Starship Human Landing System (HLS) to land astronauts on the Moon for the Artemis III mission. Starship is a fully reusable transportation system designed for missions to the Moon and Mars.
A commercial space company that develops lunar landers and other systems. As part of NASA's CLPS initiative, their Nova-C lander 'Odysseus' successfully completed the first commercial soft landing on the Moon in February 2024.
Developing the Blue Moon lunar lander. The company leads the 'National Team' which was awarded a NASA contract to develop a sustainable landing system to transport astronauts to and from the lunar surface for later Artemis missions.
A key participant in NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, developing robotic lunar landers. Their Griffin lander is tasked with delivering NASA's VIPER rover to the Moon's south pole.
A Japanese company providing commercial lunar transportation services. It develops robotic lunar landers and rovers to explore and utilize the Moon's resources, with multiple missions planned under its HAKUTO-R program.
An aerospace and defense company serving as the prime contractor for NASA's Orion spacecraft, the crew exploration vehicle for the Artemis program designed to carry astronauts on missions to the Moon and beyond.
A major international partner in the Artemis program, providing the European Service Module (ESM) for the Orion spacecraft. The ESA is also a key contributor to the Lunar Gateway, an outpost orbiting the Moon.
Selected by NASA to build the first-ever cellular network on the Moon. The 4G/LTE network is designed to provide critical communication capabilities for future lunar landers, rovers, habitats, and astronauts.