A private landing module has reached the Moon and captured stunning images of its surface (photos).

The lunar lander named Blue Ghost, created by the American company Firefly Aerospace, entered orbit around the Moon on February 14 after a nearly month-long journey through space. Following this significant event, the lander's cameras captured stunning photographs of the lunar surface, as reported by Space.

The private lander Blue Ghost ignited its engines for four minutes and 15 seconds to reach an orbit around the Moon, where it will circle the Earth’s satellite for nearly two weeks. It will then attempt a successful landing on the lunar surface on March 2.

Using its cameras, Blue Ghost marked this momentous occasion by taking several remarkable photos of the Earth’s satellite from close range, showcasing a surface entirely covered in craters. A video was also created from these images.

In two weeks, Blue Ghost will reignite its engines to attempt a successful landing in the Ocean of Storms on the Moon. This sea has a diameter of 556 km and was formed over 3.5 billion years ago on the near side of the Moon.

If the landing is successful, it will surely make history. To date, only one private lander has successfully touched down on the Moon, achieved by the American company Intuitive Machines in February 2024. It landed near the Moon's south pole.

Last month, Blue Ghost was not alone aboard the Falcon 9 rocket. Another private lander named Resilience, developed by the Japanese company ispace, also set out for the Moon. However, Resilience has a longer flight trajectory to the Moon and will enter orbit around the Earth’s satellite only after approximately 3.5 months.

The Resilience module does not carry payloads for NASA, but it will also conduct scientific research on the Moon. This marks the second attempt by ispace to land its vehicle on the Moon. The company’s first lander reached the Moon in March 2023 but crashed during its landing attempt a month later.