NASA Awards Firefly US$179.6 Million for 2028 Moon Mission

NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a task order valued at US$179.6 million through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The mission, set to launch in 2028, will see Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander deliver six scientific payloads to the Gruithuisen Domes region on the near side of the Moon. The primary objective is to study the formation of these domes, which are suspected to be composed of silica-rich magma, resembling granite, a rock typically formed through plate tectonics and water, conditions not present on the Moon.

“Understanding the formation of the Gruithuisen Domes, as well as the ancient lava flows surrounding the landing site, will help the United States answer important questions about the lunar surface,” said Joel Kearns, Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA.

The Gruithuisen Domes, known for their unusual rock composition, are of great interest to scientists aiming to unravel the Moon’s geologic history.

This mission is part of NASA's broader Artemis program, which aims to explore the Moon and pave the way for human missions. Firefly’s involvement is significant, as it marks the company’s fourth CLPS task order, including a combination of lunar landers and radio frequency calibration services for previous missions. The current task order will include the use of a rover to carry scientific instruments across the lunar surface, a first for NASA's CLPS program.

Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander, which will carry out this mission, is set to deploy a series of experiments designed to understand the Moon’s surface environment. The payloads will focus on geologic processes, lunar regolith, and testing solar cells, while also studying the neutron radiation environment on the lunar surface. 

“These instruments will study geologic processes and lunar regolith, test solar cells, and characterize the neutron radiation environment, supplying invaluable information as NASA works to establish a long-term presence on the Moon,” said Chris Culbert, Manager CLP, NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

• Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer: This instrument will explore rocks and regolith on the summit of one of the Gruithuisen Domes to understand their origin.

• Heimdall Camera System: A flexible camera system designed to capture high-resolution images of the landing site and surrounding terrain.

• Sample Acquisition, Morphology Filtering, and Probing of Lunar Regolith: A robotic arm tasked with collecting and analyzing lunar regolith.

• Low-frequency Radio Observations: An experiment to observe the Moon’s surface environment in radio frequencies and assess interference from both natural and human-generated activities.

• Photovoltaic Investigation on the Lunar Surface: A solar cell demonstration to test the conversion of light into electricity, critical for future lunar missions.

• Neutron Measurements at the Lunar Surface: A neutron spectrometer aimed at analyzing the surface neutron radiation, providing data on hydrogen content and elemental composition.

The first of Firefly’s Blue Ghost missions, scheduled for launch in mid-January 2025, will land on the Moon’s near side, targeting the Mons Latreille volcanic feature within Mare Crisium. This mission will be followed by another in 2026, which will include a lunar far-side landing and the deployment of ESA’s Lunar Pathfinder satellite.

“We have a production line of these landers. What’s great about having a production line is that you learn from the first lander to the second lander, and then some. Anything we learn on Blue Ghost 1, I assure you we’re going to make sure that we use those lessons learned to improve Blue Ghost 2 and on,” said Jason Kim, CEO, Firefly.