Seismic Payload to be Delivered to the Far Side of the Moon
Seismic Payload to be Delivered to the Far Side of the Moon
SPIDER Instrument to be Deployed on Blue Ghost Lunar Lander
An agreement has been reached between Firefly Aerospace and Fleet Space Technologies to deliver and operate Fleet's Seismic Payload for Interplanetary Discovery, Exploration, and Research (SPIDER) on the far side of the Moon.
"Any infrastructure built on other worlds will depend on a deep understanding of the in-situ subsurface composition.”
Matt Pearson, Fleet Space Technologies
Fleet Space's SPIDER payload is part of the Australian Space Agency's Moon to Mars initiative that's aligned with NASA's Artemis program to support future habitation on the Moon. Upon deployment of the payload, Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander will provide ongoing power and communications, enabling SPIDER to capture seismic data from the lunar surface for up to 14 days. This data will offer insights into the geological properties of the lunar subsurface and its mineral profile, such as water ice, that can support lunar infrastructure and further regolith exploration.
"The Firefly team welcomes Fleet Space on our far side lunar mission that will serve as a critical building block for future human and robotic missions to come," said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. "Firefly proudly supports the growing lunar economy across the United States, Europe, and now Australia, and we invite additional Artemis Accords nations to join us as we collectively build a sustainable presence on the Moon."
"Fleet is thrilled to contribute our passive seismic SPIDER technology to Firefly's lunar mission to advance fundamental research into the Moon's regolith," said Matt Pearson, Co-Founder and Chief Exploration Officer at Fleet Space Technologies. "Any infrastructure built on other worlds will depend on a deep understanding of the in-situ subsurface composition - and we're honored to collaborate with the international community to help unlock critical insights for sustaining human life beyond Earth."
In addition to SPIDER, Firefly's second lunar mission will deliver the European Space Agency's Lunar Pathfinder satellite to lunar orbit and NASA's LuSEE-Night radio telescope to the lunar surface as part of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The mission's two-stage spacecraft design, utilizing Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander stacked on Firefly's Elytra orbital vehicle, provides robust versatility for both surface and orbital deliveries in support of growing international lunar infrastructure.
Firefly has already completed the preliminary design review for Blue Ghost Mission 2 less than six months after its NASA CLPS award. Firefly is concurrently wrapping up the final milestones for its first mission to the Moon in 2024, and most recently completed the development and assembly of Blue Ghost's structure and fluid systems.