NASA awards Firefly Aerospace $176.7M contract for 2029 lunar mission

Firefly Aerospace, based in Cedar Park, announced on July 29 that it was awarded a $176.7 million Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract from NASA. Their task will be to deliver two rovers and three scientific instruments to the moon’s south pole. The contract marks Firefly’s fifth task order award from NASA and its fourth lunar mission with CLPS.

“Through CLPS, NASA is embracing a new era of lunar exploration, with commercial companies leading the way,” Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s science mission directorate stated in a news release from NASA.

Dig Deeper

The goal for the mission will be to evaluate and better understand the south pole region of the moon and its chemical composition. Firefly will be “studying the radiation and thermal environment that could affect future astronauts and lunar infrastructure,” according to a news release by Firefly Aerospace.

The Background

The contract between Firefly and NASA comes five months after Firefly became the first commercial company to land on the moon. On March 2, its first lunar lander, Blue Ghost, successfully touched down on the moon’s surface, also delivering instruments for NASA, according to previous Community Impact reporting.

Looking Ahead

In 2029, lunar lander Blue Ghost is expected to be deployed into the moon’s orbit, staying to capture continuous imagery. After touching down on the moon’s surface, it is expected to remain for over 12 days, according to the Firefly’s news release.