On 2nd at 5:34 p.m. Korea time, the unmanned lunar lander 'Blue Ghost' of the American space corporation Firefly landed on the Moon's near side at 'Mons Latreille.' Firefly's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jason Kim said, "We've got some moon dust on our boots!" Jason Kim, a Korean American, has been leading Firefly since last year.
The Blue Ghost, which has a diameter of 3.5 meters and a height of 2 meters, began transmitting various data from the lunar surface to Earth just 30 minutes after landing. This marks the official commencement of private lunar exploration. The first private spacecraft to land on the Moon was 'Odysseus' of Intuitive Machines, but it toppled over during the landing process last February and failed to transmit data. Thus, the first private corporation to successfully land on the Moon is Firefly.
The landing of Blue Ghost foreshadowed a major shift in U.S. space policy. Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro noted during a live broadcast when asked about the significance of this landing, "I think the Trump administration genuinely wants to put America first," adding, "The way we put America first is to have dominance in all areas of space." She said, "We are trying to secure territory on and around the lunar surface tonight," stressing, "We believe this is for the American people."
Acting Administrator Petro has succeeded Bill Nelson, the former Director General whose term ended before the second Trump administration. Local media in the U.S. highlighted that Acting Petro has extended the Trump administration's America-first policy into the space domain. Fifty years ago, the U.S. government and NASA asserted that they were pushing for lunar exploration for all humanity, but the Trump administration has now championed America-first instead of humanity.
Experts see Petro's remarks as a clear indication of the direction of America's space policy under the second Trump administration. The first Trump administration reinstated the Space Force, integrating space as the fourth domain of security. There are forecasts that more radical changes will emerge in the second administration.
Lee Jae-min, a research fellow at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP), said, "In the second Trump administration, the policy trend of accelerating the commercialization of space and strengthening military power in space is likely to expand," adding, "The U.S. will seek to secure overwhelming dominance in the space economy that extends from Earth to the Moon to Mars."
In this regard, there are calls for change in the South Korean government's international cooperation in the space field, which relies solely on NASA. Yoon Young-bin, Administrator of the Korea Aerospace Administration, noted during a pre-briefing of the National Space Council on the 24th that when asked about cooperation with the Trump administration, "We are making contact for close cooperation with the U.S.," and stated, "We plan to establish close cooperation with NASA personnel in the future through official occasions or personal meetings."
Under the Trump administration, private corporations, including Elon Musk's SpaceX, have taken the forefront of space development; however, Administrator Yoon still spoke only of behind-the-scenes negotiations with NASA. A space expert pointed out, "Considering President Trump's preference for close associates over government organizations, it is essential to seek points of connection now with individuals such as Jared Isaacman, appointed as NASA Administrator, or Troy McGinn, appointed as Secretary of the Air Force."
Research fellow Lee Jae-min also noted, "The role of space corporations in lunar and Mars exploration programs is expected to expand, and the growth of the U.S. space market will accelerate," stating, "As corporate roles expand, the roles of related federal agencies will also change." He predicted that space exploration programs led by the government or those in competition with corporations, including the 'Space Launch System (SLS)' developed for lunar and Mars exploration, will be adjusted.