Firefly Aerospace Uses Blue Ghost Rocket To Send NASA Payload To The Moon In 2026

The design of a tough and versatile Blue Ghost transfer vehicle. (photo: twitter @esherifftv)

Firefly Aerospace, Inc., an end-to-end space transportation company, won a USD 112 million contract from NASA to deliver some lunar payloads by 2026.

This is the second Firefly task won under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload (CLPS) initiative. This time the company will use the Blue Ghost spacecraft in a two-stage configuration to first place the satellite into lunar orbit and then deliver two research payloads on the far side of the moon.

"Our second lunar mission is something we celebrate as a Firefly team, as NASA's commercial provider, and most importantly, as an all-American company committed to making space exploration a dream that can be achieved for everyone," said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, in a company blog post.

"This mission will introduce a unique Blue Ghost spacecraft in a two-stage configuration, offering diverse placement options for NASA and other customers as we jointly build infrastructure for sustainable lunar operations and planetary exploration," Weber said.

The payload provided by NASA and delivered by Firefly will advance lunar research and infrastructure in line with NASA's Moon-to-Mars roadmap. Before landing on the Moon, the Blue Ghost transfer plane will launch the Lunar Pathfinder satellite from the European Space Agency into lunar orbit to provide communication for future spacecraft, robots, and human explorers.

After landing on the far side of the moon, the Blue Ghost lunar lander will send and operate NASA's S-Band User Terminal, ensuring unbroken communication for lunar exploration, and research payloads that measure radio emissions to provide insight into the origin of the universe.

In addition to NASA's payloads, Firefly's mission offers delivery of payloads and orbital services for additional government and commercial customers. The tough and versatile design of the Blue Ghost transfer vehicle and its fuel reserves will allow various mission opportunities, including taking lunar and further exploration samples to nearby planets such as Mars and Venus, as well as long-term orbital services, such as communications and surveys.

"Firefly's ability to provide additional capabilities to many customers on the same mission is lowering costs, expanding space exploration, and providing victory for all those involved," said Jana Spruce, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace.

"We welcome additional partners to join us in this historic mission as our society begins a new era of commercial development in the cislunar space and beyond that," added Spruce.

Firefly's first mission, Blue Ghost Mission 1, is scheduled to launch in 2024 and will deliver 10 NASA-sponsored payloads and two commercial payloads to Mare Crisium, a low basin on the near side of the Moon.

Pelanggan yang tertarik dengan pengiriman muatan dan layanan orbit yang tersedia di Blue Ghost dapat menemukan informasi lebih lanjut di https://fireflyspace.com/blue-ghost-mission-2/.