NASA has announced a $112 million contract with Firefly Aerospace to deliver multiple payloads to the far side of the Moon using their advanced robotic Blue Ghost lander.

The first of the two payloads, the Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment-Night (LuSEE-Night), aims to gain a deeper understanding of the moon’s radio environment and peer into the unobserved cosmic “dark ages.” LuSEE-Night will use its sophisticated instruments to collect data and conduct experiments, which will provide invaluable insights into the origins of the universe.

The second payload, the User Terminal (UT), will provide essential communication support for LuSEE-Night, allowing for seamless data transfer between the surface of the moon and Earth. This will enable real-time transmission of information, making it easier to study the lunar environment and enhance our understanding of the universe.

The launch itself will be an innovative two-stage operation, with the European Space Agency’s Lunar Pathfinder communications and navigation satellite being the first to be deployed. The satellite will be placed in an elliptical orbit around the moon, ensuring uninterrupted communication between Earth and the payloads on the surface.

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost spacecraft will then be deployed, safely delivering the LuSEE-Night and UT payloads to the far side of the moon. The spacecraft’s advanced technology will enable it to offer NASA and other customers multiple deployment options, making it an ideal solution for ongoing lunar operations and planetary exploration.

This is not Firefly Aerospace’s first successful project in space exploration. In 2021, the company was selected to put ten payloads on the near side of the moon. The Blue Ghost mission for the near side is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in 2024, further showcasing the company’s capabilities and expertise.

The Artemis program, of which the CLPS program is a part, is a major milestone in humanity’s exploration of the universe. The program aims to explore the lunar far side and understand some of the fundamental physics processes that occurred during the early evolution of the universe. This is a crucial step in our quest for knowledge and our understanding of the universe we inhabit.

The announcement of this contract for the CLPS program is a significant moment in the space industry. With the advanced technology and expertise of Firefly Aerospace, we can expect ground-breaking advancements and discoveries in space exploration in the coming years.