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Firefly Aerospace successfully landed its Blue Ghost spacecraft on the moon early Sunday, marking the company's first successful attempt at a lunar landing.

This achievement signals a significant milestone for private companies in the global race to the moon.

The landing took place at approximately 3:35 am ET (0835 GMT) near an ancient volcanic vent on Mare Crisium, a large basin located on the moon's Earth-facing side.

The mission, which began with the launch of Blue Ghost from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 15, will last for two weeks.

According to Reuters, the Blue Ghost spacecraft, roughly the size of a compact car, entered lunar gravity after traveling 2.8 million miles, making three complete orbits around Earth before heading toward the moon.

Upon landing, Blue Ghost touched down in an "upright, stable configuration" and is now home to 10 NASA payloads, which will be used for various scientific experiments.

These instruments include tools for subsurface drilling, X-ray imaging, and dust mitigation studies.

The success of Firefly Aerospace makes it the second private company to successfully land on the moon, following Intuitive Machines' less-than-perfect soft landing in 2024.

Firefly, however, proudly declared its landing as the first fully successful soft moon landing by a private firm.

The mission has received widespread praise from NASA, which acknowledged that this achievement further strengthens the role of private companies in space exploration.

Firefly CEO Jason Kim Celebrates Successful Blue Ghost Landing on the Moon

"Firefly is literally and figuratively over the moon," said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace.

He added that the Blue Ghost now has a permanent home on the moon's surface, with a plaque featuring the names of all Firefly employees, alongside the 10 NASA instruments.

The landing marks a historic moment for both Firefly and the wider space industry.

NASA's acting administrator, Janet Petro, praised the mission in a statement, emphasizing how the collaboration between NASA and American companies is paving the way for future space exploration, USA Today said.

"We have already learned many lessons," Petro said, "and the technological and science demonstrations onboard Firefly's Blue Ghost Mission 1 will improve our ability to not only discover more science but to ensure the safety of our spacecraft instruments for future human exploration."

The Blue Ghost spacecraft will continue to collect valuable data throughout its two-week mission.

The 10 NASA instruments aboard will perform various experiments, including subsurface drilling and dust mitigation, as well as providing insights into how space weather impacts Earth.

Additionally, the lander will capture high-definition images of the upcoming lunar eclipse later this month and document the lunar sunset, offering data on how solar influences affect lunar dust.