Firefly Aerospace Completes Preliminary Design Review For Its Elytra Spacecraft To Deliver NASA Drones To The Moon's South Pole On The Moonfall Mission

Firefly’s PDR, including members from NASA and JPL, conducted a thorough review of Elytra’s structural, thermal, propulsion, avionics, trajectory design, guidance and navigation, communications and control systems as well as the spacecraft's qualification and environmental test plans. The review confirmed Elytra’s design meets the mission requirements, and Firefly will now begin working toward the spacecraft’s final critical design review (CDR) ahead of hardware production and assembly.

Targeted to be ready for launch by late 2028, MoonFall is part of the first phase of the Moon Base, a long-term lunar exploration and infrastructure initiative designed to enable sustained human presence and expanded scientific and commercial activity at the lunar south pole.

JPL is building the drones and managing the mission for NASA, which will source the launch vehicle for MoonFall. After launching, Firefly's Elytra spacecraft will transit from Earth orbit to lunar orbit and deploy the drones above the Moon's south pole. The MoonFall drones will then use their high-definition optical cameras and instruments to survey the south pole terrain and map safe landing spots and resources to support future human missions.