Top Highlights
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The SCALPSS 1.1 camera on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander captured lunar sunset images every 10 minutes over 14 days before stopping at lunar night.
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Key findings from SCALPSS include nearly 9,000 images and 10 GB of data, aiding research on lander engine plumes’ effects on lunar soil.
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The project’s insights are vital as lunar missions increase and payload landings occur near each other.
- SCALPSS is funded by NASA’s Game Changing Development program and developed collaboratively between Langley and Marshall Space Flight Centers.
NASA’s Blue Ghost lander, equipped with unique cameras, recently captured a stunning lunar sunset. The Stereo Cameras for Lunar-Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) recorded this event as the lander operated on the Moon for just over 14 days. While it thrived during the lunar day, it ceased operations hours into the lunar night, which was expected.
As the sunset unfolded, SCALPSS 1.1 took images every 10 minutes. This consistent imaging revealed the dynamic beauty of the lunar surface. Notably, the bright light in the top right corner of the images is sunlight reflecting off the lander itself. These snapshots provide valuable insights into the Moon’s environment.
SCALPSS gathered nearly 9,000 images, totaling 10 gigabytes of data. This information is crucial for understanding how a lander’s engine plumes interact with lunar soil, known as regolith. Such knowledge becomes increasingly important as more missions target the Moon, especially with numerous payloads landing near one another.
The SCALPSS program, supported by NASA’s Game Changing Development initiative, has significant implications for technology growth. It helps inform future designs of lunar landers, therefore improving safety and efficiency in upcoming lunar explorations. Moreover, this project highlights the importance of imaging technology in understanding extraterrestrial environments.
As space agencies aim for more ambitious Moon missions, the findings from SCALPSS 1.1 will certainly contribute to our expanding knowledge of lunar science and enhance future exploration efforts.
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