Firefly completes preliminary design review for MoonFall Elytra spacecraft

Firefly Aerospace announced on 2026-10-21 that it had completed the preliminary design review for the Elytra spacecraft. Elytra is intended to deliver JPL drones to the lunar south pole.

The review examined the spacecraft's structure, thermal behavior, propulsion, avionics, trajectory design, guidance and navigation, communications, and control systems. It also covered qualification and environmental test plans, and concluded that the design meets mission requirements.

NASA and JPL personnel participated in the preliminary design review. The milestone came less than four months after contract award.

Elytra is planned to travel from Earth orbit to lunar orbit and release the drones above the lunar south pole.

The drones are JPL-built and will carry high-definition optical cameras and instruments to study lunar south pole terrain and chart safe landing sites and resources.

MoonFall is a NASA mission. JPL is building the drones and managing the mission for NASA, and NASA is obtaining the launch vehicle.

The completed preliminary design review is a step in a NASA mission that will deploy drones above the lunar south pole. MoonFall is identified as the first phase of Moon Base, a long-term lunar exploration and infrastructure initiative, and NASA is accelerating the Moon Base Program.

The drones are to carry high-definition optical cameras and instruments, study lunar south pole terrain, and chart safe landing sites and resources. Firefly is also scaling spacecraft production for MoonFall and lunar surface missions.

A final critical design review is planned before hardware production and assembly.