Experts say Firefly's Moon landing is the first step to putting humans on the moon

CEDAR PARK, Texas — Early Sunday morning, Firefly Aerospace became the first private company to land successfully on the moon. The company's Blue Ghost lunar lander touched down upright on its first attempt, carrying 10 NASA instruments.

Ray Allensworth, Firefly Aerospace's Spacecraft Program Director, described the tense moments leading up to the landing.

"Those last 15 minutes, you could hear a pin drop. You could only hear very exact callouts," she said.

Back on Earth, Cedar Park Mayor Jim Penniman-Morin celebrated the company's extraterrestrial achievements.

"I'm just a really proud father, or uncle in this case," he said, reflecting on Firefly's growth from a small company to a pioneer in space exploration.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE| From Cedar Park to the moon: local Firefly Aerospace launches moon mission

He added that Firefly's success will boost economic development in the city.

"It's a real testament to the success that we've been having in making a place where the smartest people from around the world want to live, raise their family, and work," he said. "That's why we're continuing to track amazing, innovative businesses."

Timothee Pourpoint, a professor at Purdue University's School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, spoke about the significance of this achievement for the future of space travel. He called Firefly's moon landing 'very impressive'.

"For me, what I hope to see is sustained trips to the moon from companies like Firefly. As you start putting these pieces together, you can start thinking, can we live on the moon? I think that's where we should go," he said.

Firefly Aerospace plans to launch Blue Ghost Mission Two to the far side of the moon in 2026.