Firefly Aerospace has secured a $75 million subcontract from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to deliver four drones to the Moon’s south pole.
The May 26, 2026 announcement from Cedar Park, Texas, covers development of the MoonFall mission within NASA’s Moon Base initiative. Firefly’s Elytra spacecraft will carry the JPL-built drones during a 45-day transit and release them at roughly 50 km altitude above the target site.
The drones will survey lunar terrain, including permanently shadowed regions, for as long as 14 Earth days. They will perform propulsive hops across the surface and carry survive-the-night payloads designed for months-long operation in extreme cold.
Elytra’s 1,000 kg payload capacity supports the full drone complement and associated systems required for the extended survey campaign.
NASA’s MoonFall is an incredible breakthrough mission well aligned with the bold innovation and successful execution that Firefly is known for. This subcontract underscores our commitment to executing challenging missions that push the boundaries of lunar exploration.
Ray Allensworth, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace, highlighted production scaling already underway.
As NASA accelerates its Moon Base initiatives, Firefly is rapidly scaling spacecraft production to support these missions and subsequent Blue Ghost lunar landings. This is a transformational era for our industry.
The contract positions Firefly to execute precise orbital deployment sequences and drone release operations in the lunar environment. Mission planners will rely on Elytra’s propulsion and navigation systems to achieve the required 50 km release altitude with accuracy sufficient for south pole terrain access. Firefly continues to advance its capabilities in spacecraft design and lunar mission support. The successful completion of this contract will pave the way for additional NASA collaborations in the future.
