NASA’s SCALPSS 1.1 camera on the Blue Ghost lander captured a stunning sequence of the lunar sunset while gathering critical data on how spacecraft engines disturb lunar soil.
This low-resolution, compressed gif captures a lunar sunset as seen from one of six SCALPSS 1.1 (Stereo Cameras for Lunar-Plume Surface Studies) cameras aboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander. The lander operated on the Moon’s surface for just over 14 days before shutting down, as expected, a few hours after lunar night began.
During the sunset sequence, SCALPSS captured images every 10 minutes. The bright, swirling light seen in the top right of the gif is sunlight reflecting off the lander itself.
SCALPSS 1.1 collected images during Blue Ghost’s descent and landing, as well as throughout the lunar day. These images will help scientists better understand how a lander’s engine plumes affect the Moon’s surface, particularly the regolith, or lunar soil.
In total, the instrument captured nearly 9,000 images, generating 10 gigabytes of data. This information is increasingly valuable as lunar missions grow more frequent and multiple payloads are expected to land in close proximity.
Blue Ghost also captured the sunset using a high-definition camera, as seen in the image above. Watch the stunning 4k footage.
SCALPSS 1.1 (Stereo Cameras for Lunar-Plume Surface Studies) is a NASA-developed imaging system designed to study how lunar landers interact with the Moon’s surface. Mounted on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander, the instrument captured nearly 9,000 images during descent, landing, and the lunar day to help researchers understand how engine plumes disturb the Moon’s regolith. SCALPSS 1.1 was developed at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, with support from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and is funded by the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Game Changing Development program.
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