A Firefly Aerospace lander will be launched to the moon in 2023 as part of NASA’s Artemis program.
NASA chose Texas based Firefly Aerospace to deliver 10 science experiments and technology demonstrations to the lunar surface by 2023. The company’s robotic Blue Ghost lander will land in a lunar mare called Mare Crisium, a low-lying basin on the near side of the moon that measures more than 300 miles (480 kilometers) across.
The lander will carry instruments to study various aspects of the lunar surface in preparation for future human missions to the moon, according to a NASA statement.
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The $ 93.3 million contract awarded to Firefly Aerospace is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, seeking commercial partners to land scientific and technological cargoes on the lunar surface. The Firefly Aerospace contract is the sixth award for delivery of the lunar surface under CLPS, which is an important part of the Artemis program from manned lunar exploration.
“We are delighted that another CLPS provider has won its first job assignment award. With this initiative, we seek to develop ways to develop new science and technology using a service-based model,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA, said in the statement. “This will not only allow US salespeople to demonstrate their ability to safely deliver cargo to our celestial neighbor, but also expand this capability for others who want to take advantage of this advanced approach to exploring the moon.”
Under the new contract, Firefly Aerospace will be responsible for end-to-end delivery services, including payload integration, launch from Earth, landing on the moon and mission operations.
Firefly is honored with a $ 93.3 million contract from NASA to bring ten NASA-sponsored science and technology payloads to the lunar surface using our Blue Ghost lunar lander! Https://t.co/epvsZswOrjFebruary 4, 2021
Blue Ghost will carry 10 instruments that will explore different features of the moon, including fragmented rock and soil – also known as regolith – on the lunar surface, the structure and composition of the lunar mantle and the heat flow at various depths below the lunar surface. Other scientific experiments will measure the precise distance between the Earth and the Moon, study the interaction of solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field, and examine the impact of solar radiation on the lunar surface, NASA officials said.
The lander also carries an instrument called the Lunar PlanetVac, which is designed to collect regolith from the lunar surface that could be returned to Earth as part of a separate mission, and the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment, which will test the ability to use GPS signals at lunar distances. Collectively, the 10 study loads are expected to weigh 207 lbs. (94 kilograms), according to NASA statement.
“The cargoes we ship as part of this delivery service span multiple areas, from examining the lunar floor and testing a sample capture technology, to providing information on the lunar thermal properties and magnetic fieldChris Culbert, manager of the CLPS initiative at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, said in the statement.
Named after a rare species of firefly, Blue Ghost will also feature stereo cameras designed to capture video and still images of the area below the spacecraft to better understand how the lander’s exhaust is disrupting the lunar surface.
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