Firefly lunar lander touches down on the moon

POSTED BY: second
UPDATED: Wednesday, August 5, 2026 17:26
VIEWED: 46489
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THG

Wednesday, November 16, 2022 5:41 AM

T

SECOND

Tuesday, November 22, 2022 11:09 PM

The schedule changed on Nov 20, 2022.

VCLS Demo-2FB (ELaNa 43)
A Firefly Alpha rocket will launch the VCLS Demo-2FB (ELaNa 43) mission. The launch date is currently targeted for January, 2023 (UTC).

https://www.rocketlaunch.live/?includePast=1&filter=firefly

Flight Three
Firefly Alpha
Firefly Aerospace

The Firefly Countdown Clock reads:
02 MONTH
09 DAYS
05 HOURS
53 MINUTES
21 SECONDS

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flight-three/

What is the mission? ELaNa CubeSat Launches:

ELaNa 43
Eight CubeSat missions scheduled to be deployed
• CatSat - University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
• KUbe-Sat-1 - University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan.
• MESAT1 - University of Maine, Orono, Maine
• OwlSat - Rice University, Houston, Texas
• R5-S4 - NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
• REAL - Dartmouth University, Hanover, N.H.
• SOC-i - University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
• Starling - NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

https://www.nasa.gov/content/upcoming-elana-cubesat-launches

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

SECOND

Thursday, December 8, 2022 8:38 PM

New Mission! There is a ninth satellite added to Firefly's third flight.

The ninth satellite is named Serenity:

ELaNa 43

Nine CubeSat missions are scheduled to be deployed

• CatSat - University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.

• KUbe-Sat-1 - University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan.

• MESAT1 - University of Maine, Orono, Maine

• R5-S4 - NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

• R5-S2-2.0 - NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

• REAL - Dartmouth University, Hanover, N.H.

• SOC-i - University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.

• TechEdSat-11 - NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif.

• Serenity - Teachers in Space, North America

https://www.nasa.gov/content/upcoming-elana-cubesat-launches

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Saturday, December 10, 2022 5:51 AM

Very cool, can't wait...

T

SECOND

Saturday, January 28, 2023 7:01 PM

Flight Three • Firefly Alpha • Firefly Aerospace

Launch Status
Date/Time Tue • Feb 28th, 2023
12:00 AM UTC

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flight-three/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

THG

Sunday, January 29, 2023 10:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:

Flight Three • Firefly Alpha • Firefly Aerospace

Launch Status
Date/Time Tue • Feb 28th, 2023
12:00 AM UTC

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flight-three/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly]

Keep the updates coming TWO. It's great to see Firefly getting going.

T

SECOND

Friday, February 10, 2023 8:45 PM

Firefly’s first U.S. Space Force launch targeted for May

The mission will attempt to demonstrate industry capabilities to send a payload to orbit on 24 hours’ notice.

If only Mal Reynolds would run his shipping business this predictably, he'd be wealthy:

The chief executive of Firefly Aerospace Bill Weber said Feb. 7, “Responsive space is not just a government mission. Predictability, full rate production, dependability, schedule, that’s what we’re trying to weave into the business.”

More at https://spacenews.com/fireflys-first-u-s-space-force-launch-targeted-f
or-may/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

THG

Friday, February 10, 2023 8:50 PM

Fingers crossed...

T

SECOND

Friday, February 24, 2023 2:38 PM

Delayed Two Months!

Flight Three • Firefly Alpha • Firefly Aerospace

Launch Status
Date/Time To Be Determined • April 2023
12:00 AM UTC

https://www spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flight-three/ Obsolete URL

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

THG

Saturday, February 25, 2023 1:20 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Delayed Two Months!

Flight Three • Firefly Alpha • Firefly Aerospace

Launch Status
Date/Time To Be Determined • April 2023
12:00 AM UTC

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flight-three/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

Crap...

T

SECOND

Monday, May 1, 2023 11:38 PM

New launch day and time: Tue • May 30th, 2023, 7:00 PM CDT

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

THG

Thursday, May 4, 2023 5:14 AM

Fingers crossed.

T

SECOND

Tuesday, May 30, 2023 4:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
New launch day and time: Tue • May 30th, 2023, 7:00 PM CDT

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

On the day of launch, Firefly moves the day to Thu • Jun 29th, 2023
7:00 PM CDT

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

THG

Friday, June 16, 2023 2:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by second:
New launch day and time: Tue • May 30th, 2023, 7:00 PM CDT

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

On the day of launch, Firefly moves the day to Thu • Jun 29th, 2023
7:00 PM CDT

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

tick tock second.

T

SECOND

Saturday, June 17, 2023 4:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by THG:

tick tock second.

T

I think Firefly keeps moving the launch date because it keeps running out of parts:

Firefly to buy remaining Virgin Orbit assets by Jeff Foust
June 16, 2023

“Firefly strategically bid and purchased the Virgin Orbit inventory for the significant cost savings on common off-the-shelf components that we use in our product lines, and the benefit of eliminated supply chain lead-times associated with critical flight components,” Firefly Aerospace said in a statement late June 16. “Firefly will not be utilizing all of the inventory and plans to provide additional information to parties who may be interested in purchasing.”

https://spacenews.com/firefly-to-buy-remaining-virgin-orbit-assets/

Mal has bought the entire junkyard inventory so that Kaylee will have the parts she needs.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

THG

Saturday, June 17, 2023 11:34 PM

That's news.

T

SECOND

Friday, June 30, 2023 12:25 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by second:
New launch day and time: Tue • May 30th, 2023, 7:00 PM CDT

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

On the day of launch, Firefly moves the day to Thu • Jun 29th, 2023
7:00 PM CDT

On the day of launch, Firefly delays one month. The new launch day is Sun • Jul 30th, 2023, 7:00 PM CDT.

Why am I not surprised? Because Firefly has done exactly that, before.

Also in today's news from Firefly:

Cedar Park, Texas, June 29, 2023 – Firefly Aerospace, Inc., an end-to-end space transportation company, today announced it signed a launch agreement with Lockheed Martin to support a technology demonstration mission that will launch aboard Firefly’s Alpha vehicle.

https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-signs-agreement-with-l
ockheed-martin-for-alpha-launch-services/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

THG

Saturday, July 1, 2023 5:27 AM

T

6IXSTRINGJACK

Saturday, July 1, 2023 9:26 AM

So is this thing going to launch before Trump is President?

Before the sun goes red giant?

--------------------------------------------------

How you do anything is how you do everything.

SECOND

Tuesday, July 25, 2023 5:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
So is this thing going to launch before Trump is President?

Before the sun goes red giant?

It was starting to get close to the July 30th launch date, so Firefly Aerospace moved the launch to some time, no specific day, in August.
https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

SECOND

Wednesday, August 9, 2023 5:24 PM

August 8, 2023

Firefly Aerospace debuted a line of orbital vehicles called Elytra on Tuesday, as it looks to become an end-to-end mission services provider for commercial and government customers. The first Elytra will fly on a Firefly Alpha rocket in 2024, part of a rapid-response mission contract with Texas-based startup Xtenti for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

More about the three versions of Elytra at https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/08/firefly-debuts-elytra-orbital-transf
er-vehicles/

The word "Elytra" is semi-related to the bug kind of firefly.
Elytra (singular elytron) are the tough fore wings of beetles and earwigs. The elytra are not used in flight but are used to protect the more delicate hind wings.
https://www.amentsoc.org/insects/glossary/terms/elytra/

"Elytra" is also found in Minecraft
https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Elytra

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

SECOND

Monday, August 28, 2023 4:45 PM

Firefly decided to delay the launch another month.

Launch Status Date/Time

Fri • Sep 29th, 2023
7:00 PM CDT

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

SECOND

Wednesday, September 6, 2023 5:19 PM

Firefly selected to launch three L3Harris satellites

L3Harris is building three small satellites for the U.S. government, scheduled to launch in 2026

September 5, 2023

https://spacenews.com/firefly-selected-to-launch-three-l3harris-satell
ites/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

SECOND

Friday, September 15, 2023 8:02 PM

Firefly Aerospace @Firefly_Space

We did it y’all! Today was an incredible success for the Space Force, the Firefly team, and our nation after nailing the #VICTUSNOX responsive space mission. We launched our #AlphaRocket and deployed the satellite at the target destination following a 24-hour notice.

Congratulations to the entire team! And thank you to our mission partners at
@SpaceForceDoD,
@USSF_SSC,
@SLDelta30, and
Millennium Space Systems for your continued support.
#PartnersinSpace

Learn more here: https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-successfully-launches-
victus-nox-with-24-hour-notice/

1:40 AM · Sep 15, 2023
https://twitter.com/Firefly_Space/status/1702573114306015418

Firefly Aerospace Alpha Rocket from Vandenberg Lights Up San Diego Sky
https://timesofsandiego.com/military/2023/09/14/see-it-firefly-aerospa
ce-alpha-rocket-from-vandenberg-lights-up-san-diego-sky/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

SECOND

Saturday, September 16, 2023 5:03 PM

Firefly Aerospace just set a new responsive-launch record.

The company's Alpha rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Thursday (Sept. 14) at 10:28 p.m. EDT (7:28 p.m. local California time; 0228 GMT on Sept. 15), kicking off a mission for the U.S. Space Force called Victus Nox.

The rocket roared off the pad just 27 hours after the U.S. Space Force gave the order — less time than on any previous national security mission.

The wheels for Victus Nox (Latin for "conquer the night") began turning in September 2022, when the Space Force awarded contracts to Texas-based Firefly and Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing subsidiary headquartered in the Los Angeles area that built the mission's payload.

More at https://www.space.com/firefly-aerospace-rapid-launch-space-force-succe
ss

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

THG

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 5:13 AM

T

THG

Tuesday, November 28, 2023 11:28 PM

What is next?

T

SECOND

Thursday, November 30, 2023 5:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by THG:
What is next?

T

In keeping with the Firefly theme, the next thing is . . . Miranda!

Firefly conducts first Miranda engine test
By Jeff Foust | November 29, 2023

https://spacenews.com/firefly-conducts-first-miranda-engine-test/

WASHINGTON — Firefly Aerospace has conducted the first hot-fire test of a new engine that will power the company’s future launch vehicles.

Firefly announced Nov. 28 that it conducted the test of its Miranda engine at the company’s Texas test site. A company spokesperson said the test, performed at 65% power, was designed to validate the engine’s startup sequence.

The company plans to work its way up to a full-duration test in the coming months, running the engine for 206 seconds. Miranda uses liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants, generating 230,000 pounds-force of thrust.

Seven Miranda engines will power the first stage of the Antares 330, a new version of Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket that the companies announced a partnership to develop in August 2022. It will replace the Ukrainian-built first stage previously used on Antares with Russian engines. The companies expect the Antares 330 to be ready for a first flight as soon as mid-2025.

A similar first stage, also using seven Miranda engines, will be used on another rocket, currently called the Medium Launch Vehicle or MLV. A new second stage will use a single vacuum-optimized Miranda engine. That vehicle, ready for a first launch as soon as late 2025, will be able to place up to 16,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit, versus the 10,000 kilograms of the Antares 330.

“Upgrading the first stage of Antares in parallel with developing the Medium Launch Vehicle enables our two companies to bring a new launch vehicle to market more rapidly while also reducing risk in the design process,” Scott Lehr, vice president and general manager of launch and missile defense systems at Northrop Grumman, said in a statement about the test.

Bill Weber, chief executive of Firefly, noted in the statement that Miranda was developed in just over a year. “Building on the legacy of Firefly’s rapidly developed Reaver and Lightning engines, Miranda is the fastest propulsion system we’ve built and tested to date,” he said, referring to the engines the company developed for its Alpha launch vehicle.

In an interview earlier this month, Weber said the schedule for the first MLV launch was driven by having the vehicle eligible for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase Three program in time to on-ramp to that program’s “lane one” for emerging launch vehicles. “We want to fly that mission in late ’25 so that we put ourselves in a position to qualify for the ’26 manifests in lane one,” he said. “So far, so good. We’re on track.”

Firefly is balancing work on Miranda, Antares 330 and MLV with increasing production of its Alpha launch vehicle. That rocket most recently launched Sept. 14 on the Victus Nox mission for the U.S. Space Force to demonstrate tactically responsive space. The next Alpha launch, scheduled for December, will place into orbit a Lockheed Martin satellite to test new antenna technologies.

Weber said Firefly is planning four Alpha launches in 2024, all of which have customers manifested, and at least six launches in 2025. He said the company’s current facilities could support the production of up to 24 Alphas a year, provided there is sufficient demand and that the company can turn around launches that quickly.

Firefly announced Nov. 10 that it closed a third tranche of a Series C round, bringing the total raised since February to $300 million at a pre-money valuation of $1.5 billion. “We’re capitalized and we’re funded for our foreseeable future,” Weber said.

The company is continuing to raise money despite what he described as one of the most difficult markets to do so in recent memory. There w

SECOND

Thursday, December 21, 2023 12:18 AM

Firefly Aerospace scrubs Alpha rocket launch set for Dec. 20 due to weather

By Mike Wall, last updated about 2 hours ago

Liftoff had been scheduled for 12:24 p.m. ET today (Dec. 20).

Firefly has backup opportunities through Friday (Dec. 22).

https://www.space.com/firefly-aerospace-launch-fly-the-lightning

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

THG

Thursday, December 21, 2023 4:02 AM

Just too cool.

T

SECOND

Friday, December 22, 2023 11:04 PM

Firefly Aerospace @Firefly_Space

Beautiful picture-perfect view of our Alpha rocket as we lifted off from @vandenberg_sfb at 9:32 a.m. PST this morning. Next, our second-stage engine will place the @lockheedmartin payload in its final orbit!
11:59 AM · Dec 22, 2023
https://twitter.com/Firefly_Space/status/1738258057820336416

Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket launches Lockheed Martin satellite to space
'Fly the Lightning' is taking a satellite to orbit for Lockheed Martin.

By Mike Wall | Dec 22, 2023

https://www.space.com/firefly-aerospace-launch-fly-the-lightning

The mission, codenamed “Fly the Lightning,” seeks to deploy an Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) demonstrator payload developed by Lockheed Martin’s Ignite organization as part of an agreement signed by the two companies in June.

Integrated onto a Terran Orbital Nebula small satellite bus and built using a proprietary design, the new wideband ESA sensor is expected to calibrate and be ready for operation in much less time than traditional on-orbit sensors, demonstrating the delivery of rapid capabilities to U.S. warfighters stationed across the globe.

The satellite, nicknamed “Tantrum,” serves as the lone payload launched on the FLTA004 “Fly the Lightning” mission — the fourth overall flight for Firefly’s Alpha small satellite launch vehicle and the second flight for the company in 2023.

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/12/fly-the-lightning/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

SECOND

Saturday, January 27, 2024 6:00 PM

Firefly Aerospace to Compete for Launch Service Missions Under $700M NRO Contract

By Naomi Cooper | January 26, 2024

https://www.govconwire.com/2024/01/firefly-aerospace-to-compete-for-la
unch-service-missions-under-700m-nro-contract/

Firefly Aerospace has been qualified to compete for task orders under a potential 10-year, $700 million contract to provide its Alpha rocket to launch small satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office.

The company said Thursday it will serve as a launch service provider under the Streamlined Launch Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract to deploy NRO satellites to low Earth orbit from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, said the company has doubled the size of its launch facilities, installed automated carbon composite technologies and fine-tuned operations to address the growing demand for its Alpha rocket.

The small launch vehicle has a payload capacity of over 1,000 kg and can be paired with Firefly’s Elytra vehicle to support relocation, space domain awareness, and de-orbiting services.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

THG

Sunday, March 10, 2024 8:22 AM

Rooting for them.

T

THG

Friday, May 10, 2024 5:25 AM

Firefly Aerospace Wants to Put Artificial Intelligence in Space

Is AI just a fad, or can it actually do some useful stuff?

One company that aims to find out is Swiss edge computing company Klepsydra, which, with a little help from Firefly Aerospace, aims to test whether AI can be used to fly spaceships later this year. In April, I had the opportunity to discuss this Klepsydra mission with Firefly CEO Bill Weber, who explained why AI may be uniquely suited for use in space.

T

ANONYMOUS1

Friday, July 5, 2024 2:24 PM

Launch Time
Thu Jul 4, 2024 12:04 AM EDT

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6865

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2024/07/firefly-noise-of-summer/

Firefly launch

Reaver engines

Serenity satellite

Here is the text to video of launch if video doesn’t work here.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=VWAg2vWfWnY

THG

Saturday, December 21, 2024 5:10 AM

Firefly lunar lander headed for the moon.

T

SECOND

Saturday, December 21, 2024 8:22 PM

Firefly lunar lander headed for the moon

Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander is flying annual missions to the Moon with payload services customized to the technology and exploration goals of each customer.
https://fireflyspace.com/blue-ghost/

Blue Ghost Mission 1
Launch Date: Mid-January 2025
Landing Site: Mare Crisium near Mons Latreille
Mission Name: Ghost Riders in the Sky
https://fireflyspace.com/missions/blue-ghost-mission-1/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

SECOND

Wednesday, December 25, 2024 6:45 PM

NASA announced that it has awarded a new $179 million contract to Texas-based Firefly Aerospace as part of the Artemis lunar missions, the fourth it has awarded to the company to deliver projects to the Moon’s surface.

The mission, which aims to launch in 2028, will utilize the space startup’s Blue Ghost cargo lander to deliver six scientific experiments to an area on the Moon called Gruithuisen Domes, which were formed by lava millions of years ago in order to better understand Lunar geology.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/more-nasa-science-tech-will-fly-to-m
oon-aboard-future-firefly-flight/

Firefly’s first Moon mission for NASA is currently slated to launch in mid-January 2025 on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. That mission is scheduled to land at Mare Crisium in order to study a variety of surface conditions to help prepare for future crewed missions to the Moon.
https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-blue-ghost-mission-1-t
o-the-moon-readies-for-launch/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Wednesday, December 25, 2024 11:50 PM

That's great stuff SECOND. Firefly lives on.

T

THG

Sunday, January 5, 2025 8:29 PM

Very informative post.

T

SECOND

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 4:02 PM

Skip ahead to 4 minutes into the broadcast for a description of the spacecraft and mission.

Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 Launch to the Moon (Official NASA Broadcast)

The lander will carry 10 NASA science investigations to the Moon's surface.

Following launch, the lander will spend approximately 45 days in transit to the Moon before landing on the lunar surface in early March 2025. The 10 NASA payloads aboard the lander aim to test and demonstrate lunar subsurface drilling technology, regolith sample collection capabilities, global navigation satellite system abilities, radiation tolerant computing, and lunar dust mitigation methods.

Payloads https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_Aerospace_Blue_Ghost#Payloads
The payloads, collectively expected to total 94 kg (207 lb) in mass, include:

• The Regolith Adherence Characterization (RAC), which will determine how lunar regolith sticks to a range of materials exposed to the Moon's environment during landing and lander operations. Components will be derived from the MISSE-FF facility currently on the International Space Station (ISS).

• The Next Generation Lunar Retroreflectors (NGLR), which will serve as a target for lasers on Earth to precisely measure the distance between Earth and the Moon. The retroreflector that will fly on this mission also will provide data that could be used to understand various aspects of the lunar interior and address fundamental physics questions.

• The Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI), which will capture images of the interaction of Earth's magnetosphere with the flow of charged particles from the Sun, called the solar wind.

• The Reconfigurable, Radiation Tolerant Computer System (RadPC), which aims to demonstrate a radiation-tolerant computing technology. Due to the Moon's lack of atmosphere and magnetic field, radiation from the Sun will be a challenge for electronics. This investigation also will characterize the radiation effects on the lunar surface.

• The Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS), which is designed to characterize the structure and composition of the Moon's mantle by studying electric and magnetic fields. The investigation will make use of a flight-spare magnetometer, a device that measures magnetic fields, originally made for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft currently orbiting Mars.

• The Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity (LISTER), which is designed to measure heat flow from the interior of the Moon. The probe will attempt to drill 2.13-3.05 m (7 ft 0 in - 10 ft 0 in) into the lunar regolith to investigate the Moon's thermal properties at different depths.

• The Lunar PlanetVac (LPV), which is designed to acquire lunar regolith from the surface and transfer it to other instruments that would analyze the material or put it in a container that another spacecraft could return to Earth.

• Stereo CAmeras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS 1.1), which will capture video and still images of the area under the lander from when the engine plume first disturbs the lunar surface through engine shutdown. Long-focal-length cameras will determine the pre-landing surface topography. Photogrammetry will be used to reconstruct the changing surface during landing. Understanding the physics of rocket exhaust on the regolith, and the displacement of dust, gravel, and rocks is critical to understanding how to best avoid kicking up surface materials during the terminal phase of flight/landing on the Moon and other celestial bodies.

• The Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS), which will generate a non-uniform electric field using varying high voltage on multiple electrodes. This traveling field, in turn, carries away the particles and has potential applications in thermal radiators, spacesuit fabrics, visors, camera lenses, solar panels, and many other technologies.

• The Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE), which is based on GPS. LuGRE will continue t

THG

Thursday, January 16, 2025 9:47 AM

Just found this. Will watch it tomorrow.

T

SECOND

Thursday, January 23, 2025 6:05 AM

Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Deployed

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Friday, January 24, 2025 1:09 AM

Very cool...

T

SECOND

Friday, January 24, 2025 6:04 PM

Firefly Aerospace We're in Orbit! Blue Ghost Week 1 Update

Follow along on with every major update on our mission page:
https://fireflyspace.com/missions/blue-ghost-mission-1/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

SECOND

Saturday, January 25, 2025 3:56 PM

Firefly’s Blue Ghost moon lander sees Earth as a 'blue marble' from orbit (photo)

By Brett Tingley | Jan 24, 2025

"Our GhostRiders captured the beauty of our home planet during another Earth orbit burn."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/blue-ghost
-moon-lander-sees-earth-as-a-blue-marble-from-orbit-photo

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Saturday, January 25, 2025 10:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:

Firefly Aerospace We're in Orbit! Blue Ghost Week 1 Update

Follow along on with every major update on our mission page:
https://fireflyspace.com/missions/blue-ghost-mission-1/

Go Firefly...

T

THG

Saturday, January 25, 2025 10:58 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:

Firefly’s Blue Ghost moon lander sees Earth as a 'blue marble' from orbit (photo)

By Brett Tingley | Jan 24, 2025

"Our GhostRiders captured the beauty of our home planet during another Earth orbit burn."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/blue-ghost
-moon-lander-sees-earth-as-a-blue-marble-from-orbit-photo

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Things are looking up for Firefly.

T

SECOND

Sunday, February 2, 2025 6:35 PM

Firefly Blue Ghost moon lander

We're Still in Earth Orbit! Blue Ghost Week 2 Update

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Sunday, February 2, 2025 7:35 PM

Very cool...

T

SECOND

Sunday, February 9, 2025 4:42 PM

Firefly's Blue Ghost lander sees Earth eclipse moon in amazing time-lapse from space

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

SECOND

Saturday, February 15, 2025 6:49 PM

Firefly is orbiting the Moon

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Monday, February 17, 2025 4:19 AM

Go baby go...

T

THG

Thursday, February 20, 2025 2:27 AM

Firefly Aerospace lunar lander captures view from Moon's far side
This video taken by Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander shows the far side of the Moon from about 75 miles above the surface. Blue Ghost is set to touch down on the Moon in early March.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/firefly-aerospace-lunar-land
er-captures-view-from-moon-s-far-side/vi-AA1zn9qa?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDBBAN&cvid=2cbfba9f7c7c42f4abcb0c6bd99e7eb8&ei=52

T

SECOND

Friday, February 21, 2025 3:05 AM

Firefly Aeropspace's Blue Ghost lander flew about 74 miles (120 km) above the surface of the moon during a lunar orbit maneuver on Feb. 18, 2025.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Friday, February 21, 2025 3:19 AM

Yup, very cool...

T

SECOND

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 4:01 AM

Feb 24, 2025
The FIrefly Aerospace Blue Ghost lander captured stunning views of the moon after its second lunar orbit maneuver.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 6:44 AM

It's just a big fucking rock. Never saw it like that before.

T

SECOND

Thursday, February 27, 2025 6:15 PM

Blue Ghost Mission 1 - Moon Fly By
Firefly Aerospace | Feb 26, 2025

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Thursday, February 27, 2025 8:38 PM

It's just an amazing view. The video quality is off the charts.

Shiny...

T

SECOND

Sunday, March 2, 2025 4:58 PM

Firefly ‘Blue Ghost’ lunar lander touches down on the moon

Here's why Firefly didn't show the moment of touchdown live

Blue Ghost is equipped with high-def cameras — so why didn’t the vehicle send a live broadcast of its harrowing descent?

Ray Allensworth, head of Firefly’s Blue Ghost program, just revealed the answer.

Mission control wanted to focus the vehicle’s communications bandwidth on delivering accurate real-time data, getting information about the spacecraft’s altitude and speed.

“Even though you might have the camera capability to do live streaming, it’s not always the most practical thing to do in the moment,” Allensworth said.

https://www.cnn.com/science/live-news/moon-landing-blue-ghost-03-02-25
/index.html

Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 Lunar Landing (Official NASA Broadcast)

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

JAYNEZTOWN

Sunday, March 2, 2025 6:02 PM

first successful Private Mission

Just in, our #GhostRiders downlinked another incredible Moon shot following a successful touchdown! Image shows the Moon's surface and Earth on the horizon.
https://x.com/Firefly_Space/status/1896146451614568851

THG

Monday, March 3, 2025 6:23 AM

Out fucking standing. Go Firefly...

T

JAYNEZTOWN

Wednesday, March 5, 2025 1:11 AM

Moon Landing Vid, Firefly Blue Ghost

THG

Saturday, March 8, 2025 1:11 AM

The first thing he discusses is Firefly.

T

Starship Explodes (Again) // Moon Lander Failed (Again) // Voyager Switching Off Instruments (Again)

JAYNEZTOWN

Saturday, March 8, 2025 2:26 AM

There was NASA Apollo success , some what success with Soviet machines, some recent Chinese robots, lander, 'Rovers' and a sample return back to China.

and struggles

but A LOT of recent mishaps, Pirvate sector failure, partial success, missions that crashed or landed the wrong way etc
Beresheet, a Japan failure, battery fails, loss of fuel or Propellant leaks, partially functional missions, Lunar Trailblazer, Intuitive Machines Nova-C, Lunar Flashlight, Pragyan, other international missions lost in space, Peregrine Mission One, Lunar IceCube

Update

THG

Sunday, March 9, 2025 4:21 AM

Fun to watch video.

T

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Tuesday, March 11, 2025 6:05 AM

On 2 March, Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost 7 landed on the moon.

On 6 March, Intuitive Machines landed their 2nd lander on the moon. Like iM-1, this one also landed on it's side.

Both reportedly have Hi-Def Cameras.

Upcoming on Thursday, Earth will see a Lunar eclipse, and Moon will have a solar eclipse from Terra.

This will be the first time that 2 Hi-Def Cameras will be live-streaming an eclipse from the moon's surface.

Anybody recording these live streams at the moment will have first-ever footage of such, before NASA and AI have a chance to corrupt the video. Once the moment has passed, all yoou will have access to is whatever NASA and AI want you to see and think.

Critics have been complaining for decades about what NASA has obfuscated on the moon.

Will you be watching?

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Sunday, March 16, 2025 1:11 AM

Did anybody watch?

THG

Sunday, March 16, 2025 3:59 AM

I did but I seem to recall they didn't show live video of the landing while it was landing. They wanted to focus soley on landing without incident. They wanted to get it right, to stick the landing first before worrying about anything else. The video was shared after they landed.

T

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, March 17, 2025 2:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
On 2 March, Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost 7 landed on the moon.

On 6 March, Intuitive Machines landed their 2nd lander on the moon. Like iM-1, this one also landed on it's side.

Both reportedly have Hi-Def Cameras.

Upcoming on Thursday, Earth will see a Lunar eclipse, and Moon will have a solar eclipse from Terra.

This will be the first time that 2 Hi-Def Cameras will be live-streaming an eclipse from the moon's surface.

Anybody recording these live streams at the moment will have first-ever footage of such, before NASA and AI have a chance to corrupt the video. Once the moment has passed, all yoou will have access to is whatever NASA and AI want you to see and think.

Critics have been complaining for decades about what NASA has obfuscated on the moon.

Will you be watching?

Quote:
Originally posted by THG:
I did but I seem to recall they didn't show live video of the landing while it was landing. They wanted to focus Soley on landing without incident. They wanted to get it right, to stick the landing first before worrying about anything else. The video was shared after they landed.
T

Sorry to have confused you.

Try keeping up when the adults are talking, m'kay?

THG

Tuesday, March 18, 2025 12:29 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:

Did anybody watch?

I did but I seem to recall they didn't show live video of the landing while it was landing. They wanted to focus solely on landing without incident. They wanted to get it right, to stick the landing first before worrying about anything else. The video was shared after they landed.

I wrote the above reply to this post of yours, no other. Nor did I quote any of your other posts regarding my post. Including the one I quote now to put this response into context. I only responded to the last post I saw in the thread. The one I've quoted here.

The title of the thread is, and I quote," Firefly lunar lander touches down on the moon." Since you shrouded your question in mystery by providing no context in your post other than to ask," Did anybody watch," I was free to assume, and believe, it pertained to the thread title. What I posted was easily appended to the title. That is because my response was my perception of what was going on when the lunar lander touched down on the Moon.

Apparently, it was you who got confused. That was probably because you forgot what your last post was, and that as a stand-alone post, it had not been put into any kind of proper context. Clearly what you did was post my comment with an erroneous quote of yours. You probably did that because you come from a place of hate and not science. So, I suggest you try to be a little less sour, and remain calm so you can keep up, m'kay?

T

THG

Thursday, March 20, 2025 10:16 PM

Love it. Go Firefly

T

Sunset on the Lunar Surface - Blue Ghost Mission 1

SECOND

Sunday, March 23, 2025 5:47 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by THG:
Love it. Go Firefly

T

Sunset on the Lunar Surface - Blue Ghost Mission 1

These might be the final images from Blue Ghost, unless the batteries miraculously survive freezing during the lunar night. Watch for one last time, maybe. It feels the same as when Firefly was canceled long ago and far away . . .

Blue Ghost carried 10 experiments for NASA under the space agency’s commercial lunar delivery program. While all objectives were met, officials said, the on-board drill could only penetrate 3 feet (1 meter) into the moon versus the 10 feet (3 meters) that had been planned.

Firefly said it will try to activate the lunar in early April following the two-week, bitter cold lunar night, although engineers are doubtful it will crank back up.

https://apnews.com/article/firefly-aerospace-blue-ghost-nasa-0bb0d0845
dfe4b27a5affa52912fa8dc

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Sunday, March 23, 2025 5:57 AM

I haven't read up on and still haven't so I did not hear the batteries might die so quickly. It makes one think, what the fuck; poor planning? Or, maybe I should do the research. Still, it is Firefly and it is a great first step.

Yippee!

T

SECOND

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 11:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by THG:
I haven't read up on and still haven't so I did not hear the batteries might die so quickly. It makes one think, what the fuck; poor planning? Or, maybe I should do the research. Still, it is Firefly and it is a great first step.

Yippee!

T

Blue Ghost did its job, and Firefly Aerospace got paid, which means it's time for the people involved to move on to a new mission rather than fiddle with the old mission. It's over. What is next:

Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace awarded Department of Defense contract

By Karoline Leonard
Austin American-Statesman
Published 3:04 p.m. CT April 8, 2025 | Updated 3:31 p.m. CT April 8, 2025

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/technology/2025/04/08/firefly-aer
ospace-cedar-park-department-defense/82990575007/

Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace announced Monday that it has been awarded a contract with the U.S. Defense Department to perform a responsive on-orbit mission using its spacecraft.

The mission is part of the Defense Innovation Unit, or DIU, Sinequone Project, a Defense Department initiative aimed at prototyping the use of commercial launch and orbital transfer systems to provide cost-effective, responsive access beyond geosynchronous orbits. These orbits, commonly referred to as xGEO, extend beyond Earth-centered orbits that have an orbital period matching Earth's rotation.

For the mission, Firefly's Elytra spacecraft will serve as a space maneuver vehicle, performing a series of tasks and hosting a suite of government payloads. The mission is set to launch as early as 2027.
A group marks Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar landing last month at a watch party at Haute Spot in Cedar Park. The Cedar Park-based Firefly has landed a new Defense Department contract for an orbital mission.

“Firefly has proven our ability to rapidly and reliably launch, land and operate in space as we continue to execute bold missions from (low Earth orbit) to lunar orbit and beyond,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “This national security mission will further demonstrate our ability to perform responsive on-orbit tasks when and where our customers need them with our highly maneuverable Elytra orbital vehicle."

Firefly's multimission orbital vehicle Elytra's main engine, known as Spectre, was recently proven when Firefly became the first commercial company to complete a fully successful moon landing in early March.

Firefly successfully landed its Blue Ghost Mission 1 lunar lander on the moon's surface on March 2, and it then operated 10 NASA-backed scientific and technological instruments over the period of one lunar day, equivalent to about 14 days on Earth.

According to Kim, Elytra will be equipped with the same systems used in the Blue Ghost landing — including the reaction control system thrusters that successfully performed Blue Ghost's final descent to the moon — for the Sinequone mission.

Along with its successful moon landing last month, Firefly was recently awarded an $8.2 million grant from the Texas Space Commission for spacecraft clean room space, test facilities and infrastructure support. According to Firefly, the Texas Space Commission gift is aiding Firefly's ability to mass produce Elytra in higher quantities at a lower cost.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Sunday, April 13, 2025 1:09 AM

Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace awarded Department of Defense contract, good post SECOND.

T

SECOND

Saturday, April 26, 2025 11:01 PM

'We learned so much that we didn't know': Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost moon lander mission was full of surprises

By Leonard David | April 26, 2025

"So there's so much new discovery that we found and we can pass that forward to other CLPS missions." [CLPS = Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative or in other words, Space Truckers, same as Firefly]

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/we-learned
-so-much-that-we-didnt-know-firefly-aerospaces-blue-ghost-moon-lander-mission-was-full-of-surprises

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Sunday, April 27, 2025 7:39 PM

It pleases me to no end how well things went.

T

SECOND

Monday, April 28, 2025 8:10 PM

Firefly Aerospace is living the line "You got a cargo? Don't care much what it is" from Malcolm Reynolds, the captain of the spaceship Serenity in the television show Firefly and the movie Serenity. The quote reflects Mal's mercenary and opportunistic nature, as he is more interested in making a profit than in the specific nature of the cargo.

https://www.google.com/search?q=You+got+a+cargo%3F+Don%27t+care+much+w
hat+it+is.+Malcolm+Reynolds

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Monday, April 28, 2025 9:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:

Firefly Aerospace is living the line "You got a cargo? Don't care much what it is" from Malcolm Reynolds, the captain of the spaceship Serenity in the television show Firefly and the movie Serenity. The quote reflects Mal's mercenary and opportunistic nature, as he is more interested in making a profit than in the specific nature of the cargo.

https://www.google.com/search?q=You+got+a+cargo%3F+Don%27t+care+much+w
hat+it+is.+Malcolm+Reynolds

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

I've always felt that Firefly is an explanation of life. The good, the brash, the indifferent.

T

JAYNEZTOWN

Wednesday, June 4, 2025 12:09 AM

So where are we at with this Moon and Mars stuff

Mars is mostly the USA, all the Soviet stuff crashed but the Chinese are there now and have a Rover like the USA does Mars exploration
Others are putting satellites around Mars

The Moon, NASA beat the Russians to the Moon
Soviets had a Lunar Robotic Rover
it was basically thought the Moon was dead but then someone found water deep inside a Lunar creater, so Europeans ESA send satellites, the Japanese, South Korea, the Chinese land samples drive a China rover around and take samples back to Earth from the Moon.
South Korea is there, India it had a few accidents but it also is on the Moon with Rovers.

the Chinese say they will put a 'Nuclear Reactor' on the Moon and 3-D print a Base but people are not sure if the Chinese want the Moon or Mars

a lot of people look to the Moon

KASA aims to complete the design of the lunar lander by 2028, launch the lunar soft landing verification probe in 2031, and launch the lunar lander in 2032
https://www.chosun.com/economy/science/2024/11/04/3WKCSAFT5TKMRVZXVHC3
OA4TEI/

and now US private companies are there

Japanese company ispace prepares for lunar lander to touch down on the moon
https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/space/2025/05/30/japanese-company-ispa
ce-gets-ready-to-land-on-the-moon

Four angles of Firefly's Blue Ghost lander touching down on the Moon

JAYNEZTOWN

Thursday, July 10, 2025 4:55 PM

How to LAND on the Moon in 2025

SECOND

Thursday, August 7, 2025 7:21 PM

Firefly Raises More Than Expected in IPO. The Stock Starts Trading Today.

By Paul R. La Monica | Aug 07, 2025, 8:47 am EDT

https://www.barrons.com/articles/firefly-aerospace-ipo-stock-price-edf
01e8f

In this article commercial space company Firefly Aerospace is launching an initial public offering.

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander successfully touched down on the moon in March. Now Firefly faces another big challenge: Trying to convince Wall Street that its stock could be the next IPO moonshot.

Firefly has already surpassed expectations. It priced its initial public offering after the closing bell Wednesday at $45 a share, which was above the expected range of $41 to $43 a share. That was already an increase from a previous range of $35 to $39.

It also boosted the size of the IPO. Firefly would be valued at more than $6.4 billion at a price of $45 and will raise nearly $870 million from the stock sale. It is selling 19.3 million shares, up from an original proposal of 16.2 million shares.

The stock is expected to start trading on the Nasdaq Thursday under the ticker symbol FLY.

The company isn’t profitable, and revenue is relatively small. But it has a backlog of $1.1 billion and is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. It announced in late July that it just received another a $176.7 million NASA contract to deliver five NASA-sponsored payloads to the Moon’s south pole in 2029.

Firefly also has contracts with big defense contractors, such as Lockheed Martin [LMT], L3Harris Technologies [LHX], and Northrop Grumman, which has invested $50 million in it.

The company works with the government’s Space Force military division and has a partnership with Honeybee Robotics, a subsidiary of Blue Origin, the Jeff Bezos-backed space exploration company.

Firefly and several other start-ups are looking to capitalize on a resurgent IPO market in the past few months. Medical imaging company Heartflow and data center operator WhiteFiber are also set to debut this week. This follows the successful IPOs of design software firm Figma, drone maker AIRO, stablecoin company Circle Internet Group, and Nvidia-backed cloud/artificial intelligence leader CoreWeave. All have soared from their IPO prices.

There is increased fascination with space and defense companies in general. “We’re seeing a potential banner year for space and defense tech when it comes to venture capital,” said Ali Javaheri, emerging technology analyst at PitchBook, in an email to Barron’s. Private space tech companies HEO, Impulse Space, and True Anomaly have all raised substantial amounts in VC funding this year.

“Public markets are reflecting this momentum too,” Javaheri added. “The Firefly IPO is very much in line with this trend. With rising geopolitical tensions and soaring defense budgets globally, investors are clearly betting on space and defense as growth sectors.”

Firefly will join a growing list of publicly traded firms with ties to the business of launching rockets, such as smaller Firefly competitor Intuitive Machines, plus Karman Holdings and Voyager Technologies, which both went public earlier this year.

“Everyone understands the value of space for defense security. So that’s a business opportunity,” said Micah Walter-Range, president of space consulting firm Caelus Partners and a contributor to the S-Network Space Index, in an interview with Barron’s. Asset management firm Procure uses the index to manage its passively run Procure Space exchange-traded fund, which trades under the cutesy symbol UFO.

“Firefly has been delivering on some of its ambitions. It’s a good time for them to go public. It makes sense,” Walter-Range added. “If they use the money from the IPO wisely, they can capitalize on government and commercial opportunities.”

Walter-Range noted that Firefly likely wouldn’t be added to its index until a semiannual rebalancing later this year. But Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest has a Space Exploration & Innovation ETF [ARKX], too, while VanEck has a Space Innovators ETF tha

THG

Friday, August 8, 2025 6:20 AM

I'm still following this thread. I love hearing good news for Firefly.

T

SECOND

Monday, August 11, 2025 2:58 PM

The Largest Space Tech IPO of the Year Just Launched, With a $6.3 Billion Valuation. Can the Stock Go to the Moon?

By John Bromels – Aug 10, 2025 at 6:50PM

Fans of the canceled-way-too-soon space Western Firefly will be sad to learn that the company's name isn't actually related to the TV series. Instead, it's a name Firefly founder Tom Markusic -- a former SpaceX and Virgin Galactic engineer -- selected to embody a hypothetical future in which rocket launches are as common in the night sky as fireflies.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2025/08/10/the-largest-space-tech-ipo-o
f-the-year-just-launch/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Friday, August 15, 2025 7:24 AM

Bullshit...

He can deny his subconscious but, Joss made Firefly and space synonymous in everyone's mind.

T

SECOND

Sunday, September 21, 2025 8:22 PM

FAA clears Firefly Aerospace to resume Alpha rocket launches

By Travis Webb | Sep 17, 2025

https://www.statesman.com/business/technology/article/texas-austin-spa
ce-faa-firefly-aerospace-launches-21052030.php

Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace has FAA approval to resume Alpha rocket launches after an April 29 mishap on Alpha Flight 6. The company said planning for Alpha Flight 7 is already underway.

Cedar Park rocket maker Firefly Aerospace Inc. — the Central Texas company that stuck a commercial moon landing in March and soared onto Nasdaq in August — has been cleared to resume launches of its Alpha small-lift rocket.

The Federal Aviation Administration approved the return to flight after Alpha’s sixth mission failed April 29. An FAA probe, supported by an independent review board, found the flight safety system worked as intended and the flight posed no risk to the public.

The company said engineers have identified the cause and that fixes have been made.

After its launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, Alpha Flight 6 climbed as intended through stage separation before the lower stage ruptured milliseconds later. The resulting pressure wave struck the upper stage, damaging its engine nozzle extension and cutting thrust. Despite the damage, the upper stage regained control and reached an altitude of about 320 kilometers before running out of propellant just short of its target deployment orbit. The craft, along with the Lockheed Martin satellite it was carrying, crashed in an ocean safety zone north of Antarctica.

The company said data from ground video, onboard telemetry, post-flight tests and computational fluid dynamics pointed to excessive heating on the leeward side as the likely root cause. Corrective actions included thicker thermal protection on Stage 1 and reducing the angle of attack during critical phases.

“At Firefly, technical challenges aren’t roadblocks — they’re catalysts,” said Jordi Paredes Garcia, Alpha chief engineer. “Following the lessons learned and corrective actions implemented, we were able to further increase Alpha’s reliability.”

The April flight carried Lockheed Martin Corp.’s LM 400 technology demonstrator and marked the start of a multi-launch agreement that could span up to 25 Alpha missions over five years. Firefly is now working to set a launch window for Alpha Flight 7.

The FAA clearance caps a high-profile stretch for the suburban Austin company.

Blue Ghost Mission 1 achieved a precision lunar landing March 2 as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, making Firefly the first company to complete a fully successful landing. It has a growing portfolio of contracts with government and commercial entities including NASA, the U.S. Space Force, Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp. and others.

In August, Firefly debuted as a public company on Nasdaq, raising at least $868 million and earning a peak valuation near $9.84 billion. Its stock is down about 2.5% from its initial public offering price of $45 per share — and has slipped about 27% from its first-day closing price.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Monday, September 22, 2025 6:55 AM

Nice, very nice.

T

SECOND

Tuesday, September 30, 2025 10:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:

FAA clears Firefly Aerospace to resume Alpha rocket launches

By Travis Webb | Sep 17, 2025

Oops!

The first stage of the rocket that Firefly was prepping to make Alpha's seventh-ever flight exploded on Monday (Sept. 29) during a preflight trial.

"During testing at Firefly's facility in Briggs, Texas, the first stage of Firefly's Alpha Flight 7 rocket experienced an event that resulted in a loss of the stage," the Texas-based company wrote in an update on Monday afternoon. "Proper safety protocols were followed, and all personnel are safe. The company is assessing the impact to its stage test stand, and no other facilities were impacted."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/firefly-ae
rospaces-alpha-rocket-explodes-during-preflight-test

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

SECOND

Monday, October 6, 2025 4:20 PM

Firefly Aerospace Announces Strategic Acquisition of SciTec to Advance National Security Capabilities

CEDAR PARK, Texas, October 5, 2025 – Firefly Aerospace (Nasdaq: FLY), a market leading space and defense technology company, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire SciTec, Inc., a leader in advanced national security technologies, for approximately $855 million through a combination of $300 million in cash and $555 million in Firefly shares issued to SciTec owners at a price of $50 per share.

SciTec generated revenues of approximately $164 million for the twelve-month period ending June 30, 2025. Wow! $855 million price for $164 million in annual revenue. This is NOT a good deal for Firefly, but it is stupendous for the former owners of SciTec, Inc.

Much more at https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-announces-strategic-ac
quisition-of-scitec-to-advance-national-security-capabilities/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 5:13 AM

I'm following your posts SECOND. Thanks for em.

T

SECOND

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 7:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by THG:
I'm following your posts SECOND. Thanks for em.

T

Firefly Aerospace's stock (NASDAQ: FLY) is currently trading around $28.44 as of October 7, 2025, following its IPO in August 2025 at a price of $45.00 per share.

Want to keep track of Firefly's stock price?
https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/fly/advanced-charting

I'm not saying it is a bad investment, because it is definitely better than the return you would make if you invested directly with Malcolm Reynolds, but I have seen better stock returns.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

JAYNEZTOWN

Thursday, October 9, 2025 9:41 PM

Firefly Blue Ghost

https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2025/7318229/firefly-blue
-ghost/

THG

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 12:13 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by THG:
I'm following your posts SECOND. Thanks for em.

T
Firefly Aerospace's stock (NASDAQ: FLY) is currently trading around $28.44 as of October 7, 2025, following its IPO in August 2025 at a price of $45.00 per share.

Want to keep track of Firefly's stock price?
https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/fly/advanced-charting

I'm not saying it is a bad investment, because it is definitely better than the return you would make if you invested directly with Malcolm Reynolds, but I have seen better stock returns.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

They need back-to-back successes. You know what I mean.

T

SECOND

Friday, November 7, 2025 6:33 PM

Why Firefly Aerospace Stock Just Crashed

Firefly Aerospace (NASDAQ: FLY), the recent space stock IPO and one of only a handful of entities ever to have successfully landed on the moon, saw its stock price crumble Thursday, down 12.5% through 11:20 a.m. ET.

The craziest thing of all: It happened in response to positive news.

More at https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-firefly-aerospace-stock-just-170607
729.html

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

THG

Friday, December 26, 2025 11:22 PM

T

Why We're Going Back To The Moon

JAYNEZTOWN

Sunday, March 29, 2026 8:15 PM

NASA to send nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars in 2028. What to know
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/nasa-send-nuclear-powered-spacecra
ft-163726807.html

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 wins 2025 Collier Trophy
https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/firefly-blue-ghost-mission-1-wins-2
025-collier-trophy

SECOND

Wednesday, July 1, 2026 4:52 PM

Back to the Moon!

Firefly Aerospace wins $144 million NASA lunar mission contract

Published 06/30/2026, 04:08 PM

https://www.investing.com/news/company-news/firefly-aerospace-wins-144
-million-nasa-lunar-mission-contract-93CH-4768661

CEDAR PARK, Texas - Firefly Aerospace (NASDAQ:FLY) announced today it has secured a $144 million contract from NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program to deliver a mission to the Moon using its Blue Ghost lunar lander. The contract represents a significant milestone for the company, which carries a market capitalization of $4.65 billion despite shares trading down roughly 52% over the past year at $29.42.

The mission, targeted for launch in 2028, represents the company’s sixth contracted lunar mission. Firefly plans to complete the mission in approximately two years, half the development time of its first Blue Ghost mission, according to a press release statement.

The Blue Ghost lander will return to the Moon’s near side and deliver three NASA science instruments. The payload includes the Laser Retroreflector Array for precision laser ranging, the Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer to measure radiation environment, and the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies to examine plume-surface interactions during touchdown.

"We’re not reinventing the wheel with each mission," said Ray Allensworth, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace. "We’ve templated our Blue Ghost design to cut our lunar delivery time in half, and we’re not stopping there."

The company is utilizing flight data from its first successful lunar mission to enhance its Blue Ghost landers with optimized thermal systems and advanced operational procedures. The improvements are being integrated into a build-to-print lander design to enable faster production cycles.Firefly’s revenue surged 71% over the last twelve months to $184.88 million, though the company remains unprofitable. According to an InvestingPro analysis, Firefly holds more cash than debt on its balance sheet and maintains a strong current ratio of 2.53, positioning it well for its ambitious expansion plans.

InvestingPro offers 12 additional exclusive tips and comprehensive financial metrics for FLY, including Fair Value estimates and detailed health scores.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

JAYNEZTOWN

Tuesday, August 4, 2026 7:48 PM

2026 SpaceX lunar impact now incoming

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/31/spacex-rocket-moon-col
lision

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