Latest news with #BlueGhost
India Today
2 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Amid budget cuts, Nasa awards $180 million Moon landing contract
Firefly Aerospace said that it has secured a $176.7 million NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services contract to deliver five NASA payloads to the Moon's South Pole in 2029, marking another step toward expanding private sector participation in U.S. lunar mission, dubbed Blue Ghost Mission 4, will use Firefly's Elytra Dark orbital vehicle and Blue Ghost lunar lander to deploy two rovers and three scientific instruments aimed at evaluating lunar resources, radiation and thermal conditions critical for future human a pivotal shift for U.S. space policy, NASA has been increasingly turning to private companies such as Firefly to deliver critical payloads and technologies to the Moon, a strategy designed to accelerate deep space exploration by leveraging commercial efficiency and cost savings. The Elytra Dark vehicle will first deploy the Blue Ghost lander into lunar orbit and then remain in orbit for over five lander will operate on the Moon's surface for more than 12 days, providing power, data and communications for the payloads, which include the MoonRanger rover, a Canadian Space Agency rover, and other Aerospace's first Blue Ghost mission successfully landed on the Moon in March. The mission, named "Ghost Riders in the Sky," launched in January, and became the second private firm to score a Moon landing, though it declared itself the first company to make a "fully successful" soft Texas-based company is also preparing for a U.S. IPO, aiming to capitalise on growing investor interest in commercial space ventures, according to Reuters reporting.- EndsMust Watch
Broadcast Pro
4 hours ago
- Science
- Broadcast Pro
Firefly Aerospace secures $176.7m NASA contract for Lunar South Pole mission
Blue Ghost will land near the lunar south pole, where it will deploy payloads and rovers and maintain operations for more than 12 days. Firefly Aerospace has been awarded a $176.7m contract by NASA under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to deliver five NASA-sponsored payloads to the Moons south pole in 2029. The mission will employ Fireflys Elytra orbital transfer vehicle and the Blue Ghost lunar lander to conduct scientific research and resource evaluation on the lunar surface, supporting future human exploration and infrastructure development. Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, said: 'Firefly is honoured to support another NASA CLPS task order as a proven, reliable partner for robotic missions to the Moon. Following our first Blue Ghost mission that made history just a few months ago, this bold Firefly team proved we have the right mix of grit, innovation, and dedication to not only stick the landing, but also complete all scientific objectives for our payload partners. Weve set the bar high, and we aim to continue setting new records in our missions to come with our active production line of Blue Ghost landers.' During Blue Ghost Mission 4 operations, Fireflys Elytra Dark transfer vehicle will first deploy the Blue Ghost lander into lunar orbit and remain on orbit to provide a long-haul communications relay for the mission. Blue Ghost will then land in the Moons south pole region, deploy the rovers and enable payloads operations with data, power and communications services for more than 12 days on the lunar surface. The NASA-sponsored payloads onboard Blue Ghost include two rovers the MoonRanger rover and a Canadian Space Agency rover as well as a Laser Ablation Ionization Mass Spectrometer (LIMS), a Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA), and the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS), which also flew on Blue Ghost Mission 1. These payloads will help uncover the composition and resources available at the Moons south pole, advance lunar navigation, evaluate the chemical composition of lunar regolith, and further study the effects of a landers plume on the Moons surface during landings. Following Blue Ghost Mission 4 operations, Elytra Dark will remain operational in lunar orbit for more than five years in support of Fireflys Ocula lunar imaging service. The mission enables a third Elytra Dark in Fireflys growing constellation to provide customers with faster revisit times for lunar mapping, mission planning, situational awareness, and mineral detection services. The first two Elytra Dark vehicles will launch as part of Blue Ghost Mission 2 to the far side of the Moon in 2026 and Blue Ghost Mission 3 to the Gruithuisen Domes in 2028. Chris Clark, Vice President of Spacecraft, added: 'Fireflys Elytra Dark spacecraft are great companions for Blue Ghost theyre highly maneuverable vehicles built with the same flight-proven components and propulsion system that successfully landed Blue Ghost on the Moon. As our Elytra constellation continues to grow in lunar orbit, Firefly is in a unique position to provide lunar imaging services and a communications relay for missions anywhere on the Moons surface. And with extra payload capacity on both Elytra and Blue Ghost, we invite additional government and commercial customers to join our fourth mission thats built upon the same reliable architecture and led by the same trusted team.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Firefly Aerospace's IPO Price Range Could Push Its Valuation Above $5 Billion
Key Takeaways Firefly Aerospace said Monday that it is looking to price its IPO between $35 and $39 per share, offering up 16.2 million shares. At that price range, Firefly could raise $567 million to $632 million, and reach a valuation above $5 billion. Firefly became the first commercial firm to successfully put a lander on the moon earlier this year, and generated $55.86 million in revenue in the first quarter of Aerospace said Monday that it plans to price its initial public offering between $35 and $39 per share, potentially valuing the commercial space technology company north of $5 billion. The IPO, which Firefly filed a prospectus for earlier this month, will see the company offer 16.2 million shares, raising between $567 million and $631.8 million. The company said it plans to use the proceeds to pay back funds it has previously borrowed. Firefly said it has applied for a listing on the Nasdaq exchange, to debut under the "FLY" ticker. Firefly said it expects to have about 140.55 million shares outstanding after the IPO, with its price range bringing the company's valuation between $4.92 billion and $5.48 billion. Its shares outstanding could also come close to 143 million if underwriters fully exercise their option to purchase additional shares, the company said. Firefly was valued at more than $2 billion last November, when the company announced the closing of a $175 million Series D funding round, and earlier this year received a $50 million investment from defense contractor Northrop Grumman. In March, Firefly's Blue Ghost lander successfully reached the moon's surface, making Firefly the first commercial company to "achieve a fully successful soft-landing on the Moon." In its prospectus, Firefly said it generated $60.79 million in revenue in 2024, with a net loss of about $231.13 million, compared to $55.24 million in revenue and a $135.46 million net loss in 2023. In the first quarter of 2025, however, Firefly nearly eclipsed its full-year 2024 revenue mark at $55.86 million, with a net loss of $60.1 million. The IPO market had a solid first half of the year, with Firefly's debut following several notable IPOs, including those of CoreWeave (CRWV) and stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group (CRCL). Read the original article on Investopedia Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NASA taps Firefly for 2029 Moon South Pole mission with $180 million contract
(Reuters) -Firefly Aerospace said on Tuesday it has secured a $176.7 million NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services contract to deliver five NASA payloads to the Moon's South Pole in 2029, marking another step toward expanding private sector participation in U.S. lunar exploration. The mission, dubbed Blue Ghost Mission 4, will use Firefly's Elytra Dark orbital vehicle and Blue Ghost lunar lander to deploy two rovers and three scientific instruments aimed at evaluating lunar resources, radiation and thermal conditions critical for future human exploration. In a pivotal shift for U.S. space policy, NASA has been increasingly turning to private companies such as Firefly to deliver critical payloads and technologies to the Moon, a strategy designed to accelerate deep space exploration by leveraging commercial efficiency and cost savings. The Elytra Dark vehicle will first deploy the Blue Ghost lander into lunar orbit and then remain in orbit for over five years. The lander will operate on the Moon's surface for more than 12 days, providing power, data and communications for the payloads, which include the MoonRanger rover, a Canadian Space Agency rover, and other instruments. Firefly Aerospace's first Blue Ghost mission successfully landed on the Moon in March. The mission, named "Ghost Riders in the Sky," launched in January, and became the second private firm to score a Moon landing, though it declared itself the first company to make a "fully successful" soft landing. The Texas-based company is also preparing for a U.S. IPO, aiming to capitalize on growing investor interest in commercial space ventures, according to Reuters reporting. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Firefly Awarded $177 Million NASA Contract for Mission to the Moon's South Pole
Company's fourth lunar mission and fifth NASA CLPS award utilizes Firefly's Elytra orbital vehicle and Blue Ghost lunar lander to operate two rovers and three scientific instruments Firefly's Blue Ghost Mission 4 - Lunar OrbitCEDAR PARK, Texas, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Firefly Aerospace, a market leading space and defense technology company, was awarded a $176.7 million NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract to deliver five NASA-sponsored payloads to the Moon's south pole in 2029. The mission will utilize Firefly's Elytra orbital vehicle and Blue Ghost lunar lander to enable payload operations that include evaluating the Moon's south pole resources, such as hydrogen, water, and other minerals, and studying the radiation and thermal environment that could affect future astronauts and lunar infrastructure. 'Firefly is honored to support another NASA CLPS task order as a proven, reliable partner for robotic missions to the Moon,' said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. 'Following our first Blue Ghost mission that made history just a few months ago, this bold Firefly team proved we have the right mix of grit, innovation, and dedication to not only stick the landing, but also complete all scientific objectives for our payload partners. We've set the bar high, and we aim to continue setting new records in our missions to come with our active production line of Blue Ghost landers.' During Blue Ghost Mission 4 operations, Firefly's Elytra Dark transfer vehicle will first deploy the Blue Ghost lander into lunar orbit and remain on orbit to provide a long-haul communications relay for the mission. Blue Ghost will then land in the Moon's south pole region, deploy the rovers, and enable payloads operations with data, power, and communications services for more than 12 days on the lunar surface. The NASA-sponsored payloads onboard Blue Ghost include two rovers – the MoonRanger rover and a Canadian Space Agency rover – as well as a Laser Ablation Ionization Mass Spectrometer (LIMS), a Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA), and the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS), which also flew on Blue Ghost Mission 1. These payloads will help uncover the composition and resources available at the Moon's south pole, advance lunar navigation, evaluate the chemical composition of lunar regolith, and further study the effects of a lander's plume on the Moon's surface during landings. Following Blue Ghost Mission 4 operations, Elytra Dark will remain operational in lunar orbit for more than five years in support of Firefly's Ocula lunar imaging service. The mission enables a third Elytra Dark in Firefly's growing constellation to provide customers with faster revisit times for lunar mapping, mission planning, situational awareness, and mineral detection services. The first two Elytra Dark vehicles will launch as part of Blue Ghost Mission 2 to the far side of the Moon in 2026 and Blue Ghost Mission 3 to the Gruithuisen Domes in 2028. 'Firefly's Elytra Dark spacecraft are great companions for Blue Ghost – they're highly maneuverable vehicles built with the same flight-proven components and propulsion system that successfully landed Blue Ghost on the Moon,' said Chris Clark, Vice President of Spacecraft. 'As our Elytra constellation continues to grow in lunar orbit, Firefly is in a unique position to provide lunar imaging services and a communications relay for missions anywhere on the Moon's surface. And with extra payload capacity on both Elytra and Blue Ghost, we invite additional government and commercial customers to join our fourth mission that's built upon the same reliable architecture and led by the same trusted team.' Customers interested in joining Blue Ghost Mission 4 can find more information at and those interested in Firefly's Ocula lunar imaging services can find more details at About Firefly AerospaceFirefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables government and commercial customers to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for responsive space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with approximately 24-hour notice. Firefly is also the only company to achieve a fully successful landing on the Moon. Established in 2017, Firefly's engineering, manufacturing, and test facilities are co-located in central Texas to enable rapid innovation. The company's small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles are built with common flight-proven technologies to enable speed, reliability, and cost efficiencies for each mission from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. For more information, visit Media Contactpress@ Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
