Transfer vehicle
Elytra
Firefly Aerospace
Elytra Dark is Firefly's orbital tug on Blue Ghost Mission 2.
Spec
CS-4 radio frequency calibration service: $18 million public package award.
Elytra is Firefly's orbital vehicle. Elytra Dark sends a lander toward the Moon, deploys other spacecraft, and can remain in lunar orbit as a relay.
Mission brief
On Blue Ghost Mission 2, NET around 2027, Elytra Dark sends the lander toward the Moon, deploys ESA's Lunar Pathfinder, and stays in orbit as a relay. On Mission 4 it transfers Blue Ghost to lunar orbit and remains as the long haul communications relay, and later supports the Ocula imaging path. On Mission 3, NET around 2028, it is the transfer vehicle and communications relay, then remains in lunar orbit for up to five years for customer payload and imaging. On MoonFall, NET around 2028, it carries four drones from Earth orbit to the Moon and deploys them during the descent. JPL manages MoonFall under NASA's Moon Base robotic scout phase.
Schematic
On Mission 2 the dual payload attach fitting holds Blue Ghost and Lunar Pathfinder and separates them in space. MMA Space supplies the deployable radio frequency calibration antenna, and Vulcan Wireless supplies the calibration radio, both supporting LuSEE-Night. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory telescopes support Ocula imaging on Elytra after the Mission 2 CLPS phases. On MoonFall, Elytra carries four drones and deploys them during the descent.