Ukraine-US company to cooperate with SpaceX on mission to Moon

(MENAFN- UkrinForm)Ukraine-US company Firefly Aerospace, owned by businessman Max Polyakov, signed a contract with SpaceX to launch the Blue Ghost mission to the Moon in 2023.

''The Blue Ghost mission will include delivery of NASA payloads that will support scientific lunar research and will contribute to developing a sustainable presence on the Moon as part of the Artemis program,” said SpaceX Vice President of Commercial Sales Tom Ochinero, Firefly .

As noted, Blue Ghost spacecraft will fly on Falcon 9 launch vehicle and will deliver 10 payloads for NASA’s Artemis program. More than 150 kg of payload will be delivered to the lunar surface.

In February, NASA awarded Firefly Aerospace approximately $93.3 million to deliver a suite of 10 science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon in 2023. The delivery, planned for Mare Crisium, a low-lying basin on the Moon’s near side, will investigate a variety of lunar surface conditions and resources. Such investigations will help prepare for human missions to the lunar surface.

The award is part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, in which NASA is securing the service of commercial partners to quickly land science and technology payloads on the lunar surface.

This is the first delivery awarded to Firefly Aerospace, which will provide the lunar delivery service using its Blue Ghost lander, which the company designed and developed at its Cedar Park facility.

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