Aerospace Company Lands Major Lunar Mission Contract Amid Growing Interest in Space Exploration

Firefly Aerospace has been awarded an approximately $179.6 million NASA contract to deliver and operate six NASA instruments in the Gruithuisen Domes on the Moon’s near side in 2028. As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload (CLPS) initiative, Firefly will utilize its Blue Ghost lunar lander, Elytra Dark orbital vehicle, and a rover from an industry provider to investigate the unique composition of the domes. According to Firefly Aerospace, CEO Jason Kim, this mission is another complex task order for the company, which has gained a reputation for smooth payload integrations and robust testing. The mission will also offer capacity for additional customers, providing orbital transfer and long-haul communications in cislunar space on Elytra as well as lunar surface delivery and operations on Blue Ghost.