Firefly Aerospace succeeded in its first attempt to land on the moon with its uncrewed Blue Ghost spacecraft on Sunday, kicking off a two-week research mission as a handful of private firms compete to reach the frontlines of a global moon race.

The landing precedes by just four days the planned arrival of a second uncrewed American spacecraft built and operated by Intuitive Machines. The space exploration company, also based in Texas, etched its name in the history books a year ago when its spacecraft,

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost moon lander tightened its lunar orbit on Sunday before its inaugural attempt at an uncrewed touchdown, nearing a pivotal moment for one of a handful of private firms on the frontlines of a global moon race.