Firefly's Blue Ghost Mission 1 has taken a significant leap toward the Moon, with its successful second engine burn positioning the spacecraft for lunar orbit. NASA’s science and technology instruments aboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 are making steady progress toward the Moon.

The spacecraft built and operated by Texas-based Firefly Aerospace launched in the early Monday hours from Florida aboard a SpaceX rocket.

A spacecraft carrying NASA instruments has launched on its journey to the moon.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

In a significant leap for lunar exploration, Firefly Aerospace's recent mission launched 10 NASA instruments towards the Moon, with successful initial operations reported. Key technologies demonstrate effective performance as they transmit preliminary data back to Earth,

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander launched at 1:11 a.m. Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the SpaceX rocket before separating an hour later. The lunar lander — part of a mission known as Blue Ghost Mission 1 or Ghost Riders in the Sky — will spend 45 days in orbit and 14 days on the surface of the moon.