Firefly Aerospace has completed a key spacecraft design review for a NASA mission that aims to deploy four robotic drones above the Moon’s south pole by late 2028.
The Texas-based space company announced on October 21 that its Elytra spacecraft had passed a preliminary design review (PDR) for NASA’s MoonFall mission. The milestone clears the way for the next design phase before hardware production and assembly.
The spacecraft will transport drones developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from Earth orbit to lunar orbit before releasing them above the Moon’s south pole. The drones are intended to survey terrain, identify potential landing sites, and locate resources for future human missions.
The review involved engineers from Firefly, NASA and JPL, who assessed whether the spacecraft’s proposed systems could meet mission requirements. Firefly said it completed the review less than four months after receiving its contract.
The review examined Elytra’s structural design, thermal management, propulsion, avionics, navigation, communications and control systems. Engineers also evaluated plans for qualification and environmental testing.
These systems will play different roles during the mission. Propulsion will move the spacecraft toward the Moon, while guidance and navigation systems will help control its trajectory and position. Thermal systems will protect equipment against temperature extremes in space.
Communications systems will support contact with mission controllers, while the spacecraft’s control systems will coordinate operations during the journey and deployment.
Firefly said the review confirmed that Elytra’s design meets mission requirements. However, this was a design assessment rather than a demonstration of flight-ready hardware.
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