The National Aeronautic Association announced on March 18, 2026, that Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 team will receive the 2025 Robert J. Collier Trophy for achieving the first fully successful commercial lunar landing and operating multiple NASA payloads on the Moon. The award presentation is scheduled for June in Washington.
Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 touched down in Mare Crisium near Mons Latreille at 3:34 a.m. EST on March 2, 2025, as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The lander carried experiments for lunar research, including regolith sample collection, radiation-tolerant computing, navigation systems, and lunar dust mitigation. Firefly reported meeting all mission objectives, with over 14 days of surface operations extending into the lunar night.
The Collier Trophy, awarded annually since 1911, recognizes the greatest U.S. achievement in aeronautics or astronautics that improves air or space vehicle performance, efficiency, and safety. Past winners include Orville Wright, the Apollo 11 crew, and the James Webb Space Telescope team. NAA Board Chair Jim Albaugh noted the mission demonstrates the commercial sector’s readiness to lead lunar returns. Blue Ghost marked the first private soft landing with extended surface operations, differing from prior commercial attempts with hard landings or brief lifespans.