First Lunar Delivery Slated For January 2025

NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a contract worth $179 million to deliver a series of six experiment payloads to the lunar surface, as the agency continues to advance its lunar exploration program and support the growing lunar economy under its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.

NASA’s lunar exploration program is an important element of its Moon to Mars exploration campaign that will feature the Artemis program, and the Firefly missions fall under the aegis of both programs by delivering science experiments and technology demonstrations for the agency.

The agency is particularly interested in the fourth mission which will have Firefly land in the Gruithuisen Domes on the Moon’s near side in 2028. They are a region of ancient lava flows, and the experiments delivered there will help scientists understand how the domes formed and advance the general knowledge of planetary processes and geological evolution.

Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C. said, “The CLPS initiative carries out U.S. scientific and technical studies on the surface of the Moon by robot explorers.

“As NASA prepares for future human exploration of the Moon, the CLPS initiative continues to support a growing lunar economy with American companies. Understanding the formation of the Gruithuisen Domes, as well as the ancient lava flows surrounding the landing site, will help the U.S. answer important questions about the lunar surface.”

FMI:  fireflyspace.com/