Cedar Park, Texas, December 18, 2024 – Firefly Aerospace, Inc., the leader in end-to-end responsive space services, was 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, the mission will utilize Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander, Elytra Dark orbital vehicle, and a rover from an industry provider to investigate the unique composition of the Gruithuisen Domes – a part of the Moon that has never been explored.

“Firefly is proud to land our fourth NASA CLPS award for another complex mission, which is what our team does best,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “This incredible team gained a hard-earned reputation for smooth payload integrations, well-rehearsed operations, and robust testing and transparency throughout Blue Ghost Mission 1 preparations. As Firefly works towards becoming the go-to commercial company to provide autonomous systems on the Moon and beyond, our robust line of vehicles stand ready to deliver a historic mission to the Gruithuisen Domes.”

During mission operations, Firefly’s Elytra Dark transfer vehicle will first deploy the Blue Ghost lander into lunar orbit and then remain on orbit to provide long-haul communications. Blue Ghost will then land in the Gruithuisen Domes, deploy the rover, and support payload operations for more than 14 days on the lunar surface. The NASA payloads onboard Blue Ghost include the Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the photoElectron Sheath (ROLSES) telescope, the Sample Acquisition, Morphology Filtering, and Probing of Lunar Regolith (SAMPLR) robotic arm, the Neutron Measurements at the Lunar Surface (NMLS) instrument, the Photovoltaic Investigation on the Lunar Surface (PILS) instrument, and the Heimdall camera system.

The mission will also carry NASA’s Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) payload with multiple instruments attached to both the lander and rover to determine the composition of the Gruithuisen Gamma Dome. Considered a geologic mystery, the Gruithuisen Domes appear to be composed of silica-rich volcanic minerals, which could indicate the presence of lunar water and hydrogen. The NASA payloads onboard Blue Ghost Mission 3 will investigate the formation and physical properties of the domes, including the potential detection of water and hydrogen molecules, in addition to other science investigations.

“Firefly is dedicated to flying annual missions to the Moon for both government and commercial customers as we continue to pave the way for a lasting lunar presence,” said Brett Alexander, Chief Revenue Officer at Firefly Aerospace. “We’re seeing growing interest from organizations looking to unlock the Moon’s resources and build a robust lunar ecosystem, and we welcome additional partners to join us.”

Along with the NASA payloads, Firefly’s mission has capacity for additional customers, offering orbital transfer and long-haul communications in cislunar space on Elytra as well as lunar surface delivery and operations on Blue Ghost.

Firefly’s first mission to the Moon, Ghost Riders in the Sky, is on track for launch in mid-January 2025 with 10 NASA payloads onboard Blue Ghost. Firefly’s second lunar mission is scheduled to launch in 2026, utilizing a similar two-stage spacecraft configuration as Blue Ghost Mission 3, with the Blue Ghost lander stacked on Elytra Dark to support payload operations on the far side of the Moon and in lunar orbit.

About Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end responsive space company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners (“AEI”) focused on delivering rapid, reliable, and affordable space access for government and commercial customers. Firefly’s small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide the space industry with a single source for missions from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond.

Source: Firefly Aerospace

Littleton, Colo., December 9, 2024 – Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] newest technology demonstration, called the Tactical Satellite (TacSat), is complete and ready for launch in 2025 aboard a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket. TacSat is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance spacecraft with a mission to prove specialized sensing and communications capabilities on orbit. The satellite will participate in exercises next year that highlight cross-domain kill-web connectivity, enabling timely execution of tactical space missions.

“This area of focus is especially important to the future of space as it becomes a more contested environment,” said Paul Koether, director of tactical space at Lockheed Martin. “We’re thrilled to be one step closer to displaying game-changing communications and sensing in the ultimate high ground.”

What’s On Board?

In an increasingly complex battlespace, infrared sensing can be a decisive edge providing more complete situational awareness for allied forces. TacSat will host a proven Lockheed Martin infrared sensor on board that brings previously developed technology to space for the first time. This sensor produces high quality imagery and it can interface with federated Battle Management Command & Control (BMC2) combat systems to provide joint forces with a comprehensive view of threats. The satellite will also feature Lockheed Martin’s first 5G.MIL® payload on orbit. This provides cellular-like networking for military space assets, making satellite constellations more resilient. It also helps enable seamless connectivity with tools in the air, at sea and on land. The power of proliferated connection and influx of actionable data this technology brings will strengthen our customers’ ability to stay ahead of threats on the horizon.

The Bigger Picture

Space-enhanced Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) will enable the global connection of our nation and allies’ military assets. Once operational on orbit, TacSat will be available for customer exercises, including learning endeavors related to Find, Fix, Track, Target, Engage, Assess (F2T2EA) missions. Having successfully completed rigorous environmental testing earlier this summer, TacSat has completed its final checkouts at Lockheed Martin’s Littleton, Colorado, campus. Next up on its road to launch, the satellite will ship out to its launch site in California for final processing ahead of liftoff in 2025.

About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready.

Source: Lockheed Martin

Cedar Park, Texas, November 25, 2024 – Firefly Aerospace, the leader in end-to-end responsive space services, today announced it successfully completed environmental testing on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander ahead of its first mission to the Moon supporting NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Firefly is now preparing to ship the lander to Cape Canaveral, Florida, in mid-December for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during a six-day window that opens no earlier than mid-January 2025.

“Blue Ghost aced environmental testing and proved the lander is performing 100% as expected, which is a testament to the incredible Firefly team,” said Jason Kim, CEO at Firefly Aerospace. “This team has gone above and beyond with innovative testing approaches to ensure Blue Ghost is flight ready. While we know there will be more challenges ahead, I’m confident this team has what it takes to softly touch down on the lunar surface and nail this mission.”

Blue Ghost environmental testing was recently completed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in mid-October. During testing, the most extreme temperatures the lander will see during transit and on the Moon’s surface were replicated in a thermal vacuum chamber. Equipped with a solar simulator, JPL’s chamber enabled comprehensive functional and behavioral testing in a flight-like environment. The testing also included vibration, acoustic, electromagnetic interference and compatibility tests to further verify the integrated lander can withstand each flight environment during launch, transit, and landing on the Moon.

“With additional time in our schedule, we shipped Blue Ghost back to Firefly’s spacecraft facility in north Austin, Texas, where it has remained until we received the go to ship to the Cape,” said Jana Spruce, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace. “In the meantime, the Firefly team has utilized this extra time to further conduct mission simulations and prep the team as we get ready to begin our first of many road trips to the Moon.”

Following launch and vehicle separation, Blue Ghost will begin its approximately 45-day transit to the Moon, allowing ample time to conduct robust health checks and begin payload operations on orbit. Blue Ghost will then land in Mare Crisium and operate payloads for a full lunar day (14 Earth days). As part of NASA’s CLPS initiative, the 10 payloads will perform numerous science and technology demonstrations, including lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, and dust mitigation to advance research for future human missions on the Moon. Additional demonstrations, including X-ray imaging of Earth’s magnetic field, will also benefit humans on Earth, providing insights into how space weather impacts the planet.

Once payload operations are complete, Blue Ghost will capture the lunar sunset and provide critical data on how lunar regolith reacts to solar influences during lunar dusk conditions. Blue Ghost will then operate for several hours into the lunar night. Blue Ghost Mission 1, named Ghost Riders in the Sky, is the first of three Firefly task orders supporting the NASA CLPS initiative as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign that serves to unlock the commercial lunar economy and enable a lasting lunar presence. The approximately 60-day mission will be operated from Firefly’s Mission Operations Center in Cedar Park, Texas.

About Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end responsive space company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners (“AEI”) focused on delivering rapid, reliable, and affordable space access for government and commercial customers. Firefly’s small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide the space industry with a single source for missions from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond.

Source: Firefly Aerospace

Cedar Park, Texas, November 12, 2024 – Firefly Aerospace, the leader in end-to-end responsive space services, today announced it closed an oversubscribed $175 million Series D round at a valuation of more than $2 billion. The Series D round was led by new investor, RPM Ventures, a venture capital firm that has been investing in revolutionary, category-defining companies for more than two decades. In addition to RPM Ventures, the round included existing investors as well as multiple new investors, including GiantLeap Capital and Human Element.

“Few companies can say they’ve defined a new category in their industry – Firefly is one of those,” said Marc Weiser from RPM Ventures. “They have captured their niche in the market as a full service provider for responsive space missions and have become the pinnacle of what a modern space and defense technology company looks like.”

Firefly’s core business focuses on providing customers with best-in-class responsive space services across its launch, lunar, and on-orbit programs. This capability was proven during the VICTUS NOX mission where the Firefly team met the U.S. Space Force’s requirement of encapsuling and launching a payload following a 24-hour notice. Firefly set an industry record, defined a new industry category, and continues to improve that timeline with each Alpha mission.

“Firefly is extremely grateful for our existing and new investors whose support demonstrates a huge vote of confidence in our capabilities and future” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “Prior to joining the company, I had a unique opportunity to see behind the scenes and witness the bold mission Firefly executed flawlessly! I believe this is what has defined us in the market and continues to drive the investor demand that allowed us to move from term sheet to close in just two months – and the best is yet to come.”

“This successful financing round solidifies Firefly as the undisputed leader in responsive space,” said Kirk Konert, Chairman of the Board at Firefly Aerospace. “With relentless drive, cutting-edge innovation, and unstoppable passion, this team is rewriting the rules of what’s possible. As we set our sights on 2025, we’re gearing up for a year that will redefine the industry and make history.”

In addition to its responsive launch operations, Firefly stands ready to begin its inaugural Blue Ghost mission to the Moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Service initiative. The team is concurrently preparing for multiple Alpha launches as part of its contracted missions with Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, True Anomaly, NASA and NOAA while co-developing a Medium Launch Vehicle with Northrop Grumman. In parallel, the company is completing final preparations for its first Elytra mission, a configurable spacecraft that provides on-orbit services and a deep space communication network. Known for its highly efficient use of capital, Firefly plans to allocate the new capital to expand market reach with its Elytra spacecraft, move to full rate production of its Alpha launch vehicle, and accelerate hardware qualification for new vehicles in development.

About Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end space transportation company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners (“AEI”) focused on delivering responsive, reliable, and affordable space access for government and commercial customers. Firefly’s small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide the space industry with a single source for missions from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond.

Source: Firefly Aerospace