- Firefly Aerospace has been awarded an $18 million NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract for radio frequency calibration services as part of its second mission to the Moon, Blue Ghost Mission 2.
- The calibration services will support NASA’s LuSEE-Night radio telescope, aiming to uncover new insights about the origins of the universe.
Firefly Aerospace Wins $18 Million NASA Contract for Lunar Calibration Services
September 12, 2023 | Cedar Park, Texas, Firefly Aerospace, Inc., a leading end-to-end space transportation company, announced today that it has been awarded an $18 million NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract. The contract is for providing radio frequency calibration services from lunar orbit as part of Blue Ghost Mission 2, Firefly’s second mission to the Moon slated for 2026. This marks Firefly’s third NASA CLPS task order award, bringing the company’s total to nearly $230 million for lunar payload services.
“Firefly is honored to support the growing lunar infrastructure that’s enabling the next generation of space exploration and unlocking new insights about the dark ages of our universe,” said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace.
Expanding Mission Capabilities
Blue Ghost Mission 2 will utilize a two-stage vehicle configuration, featuring Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander stacked on an Elytra Dark orbital vehicle. Elytra will first deploy the Blue Ghost lander and the European Space Agency’s Lunar Pathfinder satellite in lunar orbit. Following this, Blue Ghost will touch down on the far side of the Moon, carrying NASA’s LuSEE-Night radio telescope.
Elytra will remain in lunar orbit, providing radio frequency calibration services for LuSEE-Night with a deployable antenna designed in collaboration with MMA Design, Inc. and Vulcan Wireless. These services will prepare LuSEE-Night for its mission to explore the origins of the universe. Elytra will also act as the communications relay for the Blue Ghost lander throughout its surface mission.
“Utilizing common components across all our product lines, our spacecraft are designed to be highly mobile, scalable, and customizable, serving the needs of NASA, international government agencies, and the broader commercial industry,” said Jana Spruce, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace.
A Busy Slate of Upcoming Missions
Firefly Aerospace is not just stopping at lunar missions. The company has a packed schedule of upcoming missions that include a variety of customers and mission types. One such mission is VICTUS NOX, a responsive space demonstration for the U.S. Space Force, set to launch in 2023 from Firefly SLC-2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA.
Another mission on the horizon is NASA ELANA 43, a venture class launch services demonstration. While the launch date is yet to be announced, the mission will also take off from Firefly SLC-2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA.
Firefly is also preparing for Elytra Mission 1, a responsive space demonstration set for 2024. This mission will use both the Alpha launch vehicle and the Elytra orbital vehicle, further showcasing Firefly’s versatile capabilities.
Not to forget, Firefly’s first mission to the Moon, Blue Ghost Mission 1, is in its final assembly phase and is scheduled to land in the Mare Crisium of the northern lunar hemisphere in 2024.
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Firefly Aerospace has ambitious plans to evolve its line of launch vehicles and spacecraft to provide more affordable and reliable access to space. The company aims to support more advanced missions, including responsive launch, deorbit, and reentry services in Low Earth Orbit (LEO); in-space mobility, logistics, and payload hosting in Geostationary Orbit (GEO); lunar deliveries, sample return, and relay services in cislunar space; and even transport services to nearby planets such as Mars and Venus.
A Future-Ready Space Company
Firefly is in the final assembly phase of its Blue Ghost lunar lander for its first mission to the Moon in 2024. The company is also preparing for multiple Alpha launches in the coming months and its first Elytra mission in 2024.
