Firefly Aerospace, an end-to-end space launch services provider, announced it has been awarded a contract in the value of USD 112 million by NASA under the agency’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) initiative for the delivery of multiple payloads in 2026.

Firefly will use its Blue Ghost spacecraft in a two-stage configuration to deliver ESA’s Lunar Pathfinder satellite into orbit before landing down on the far side of the moon to deliver two NASA payloads, including NASA’s S-Band user terminal, and a research-focused payload.

In order to utilize its surplus payload capacity, the company plans to offer payload delivery and orbital services for other customers, both government and commercial. The design of Blue Ghost and its propellant reserve is expected to allow for a variety of other opportunities that include the return of lunar samples, additional exploration of nearby planets, and long-term orbital services.

Analyst QuickTake: This mission is the second NASA payload delivery contract won by Firefly Aerospace. In 2021, the company also won a USD 93 million contract to carry NASA payloads to the moon, which is on track for launch in 2024, even though it was initially planned for 2023. Apart from flying CLPS missions, NASA has also awarded the company a fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) missions using Firelfy’s Alpha rocket.