In a groundbreaking achievement, the Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost lunar lander has successfully touched down on the Moon, powered by an innovative engine designed and built by Nammo UK at Westcott.
The journey began in 2011 when Nammo UK embarked on developing the High-Thrust Apogee Engine (HTAE) under a contract with the European Space Agency and the UK Space Agency.
This foundational work paved the way for a significant collaboration in 2021, when Firefly Aerospace sought Nammo UK's expertise for its Blue Ghost lunar lander. This partnership led to the creation of the LEROS 4-ET (extended-thrust) engine.
The inaugural LEROS 4-ET engine was dispatched to Firefly for its maiden lunar mission. Launched aboard a Falcon 9 on January 15, the Blue Ghost 1 lander underwent a successful 10-second test burn, followed by a crucial trans-lunar injection burn on February 9, 2025. Just four days later, the lander achieved lunar orbit insertion, positioning it perfectly around the Moon.
On March 2, the mission's most extended burn, lasting approximately 550 seconds, was executed by the LEROS 4-ET engine. This critical maneuver decelerated the lander, ensuring a safe lunar touchdown. As the lander neared the Moon's surface, the LEROS 4-ET engine ceased operation, allowing Firefly’s smaller 200-newton engines to manage the final descent phase.
At precisely 9:34 CET on March 2, the Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander made its historic landing on the Moon's surface.
A spokesperson at Nammo said: “The LEROS 4-ET taking Blue Ghost to the Moon signifies years of dedicated work on this engine. The landing on Sunday was an incredible moment, but it’s only the beginning of the LEROS 4’s success.
“Firefly has ordered a second engine for its lunar missions and ESA’s Envision mission to Venus will be powered by the LEROS-4.”
Photo credit: Firefly Aerospace.
