// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Star
A star is a giant ball of hot gas, primarily hydrogen and helium, that produces light and heat through nuclear fusion in its core. Our Sun is an example of a star.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A star is a self-luminous celestial body, composed of plasma, that generates energy via thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium in its core, maintaining hydrostatic equilibrium against gravitational collapse.
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
- Sun
- celestial body
- luminary
- giant gas ball
- main-sequence star
USAGE NOTE
Stars are fundamental to understanding planetary system formation and the energy sources for potential exoplanet life.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Star.
Develops the Starship launch system intended for interplanetary travel and operates Starlink, a satellite constellation for global internet access.
A research and engineering project aiming to demonstrate proof of concept for a new technology, called 'StarChip', enabling uncrewed interstellar travel to Alpha Centauri within a generation.
Manufactures the CST-100 Starliner, a crew capsule designed to transport astronauts to low-Earth orbit destinations such as the International Space Station.
The United States' civil space agency, which operates stellar observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope to study the formation and life cycles of stars.
An intergovernmental organization that manages space exploration programs, including the Gaia mission which is charting a three-dimensional map of our galaxy's stars.
An aerospace and defense company that was the prime contractor for the James Webb Space Telescope, an observatory designed to see the universe's first stars and galaxies.
A manufacturer of spacecraft, components, and instruments for space missions. The company develops critical technologies including high-performance star trackers for spacecraft navigation and attitude control.
A research and development lab federally funded by NASA and managed by Caltech. JPL develops and manages robotic spacecraft and conducts research in astrophysics and cosmology, including the study of stars.