Firefly Research receives NASA SBIR award for solar electric space utility vehicle 2 min read
Firefly Aerospace Inc., a U.S. developer of orbital launch vehicles for the small to medium satellite market owned by Ukrainian businessman Maksym Polyakov, has received the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) award from NASA to develop a solar electric transfer stage capable of taking payloads from the Earth to the moon – the Space Utility Vehicle (SUV).
The new SUV will be able to deliver payloads into orbits that are difficult to reach with conventional rockets, the company s press service said on Thursday.
The Firefly Aerospace s SUV will become a link between the Firefly Alpha launch vehicle and the Blue Ghost lunar module, thus creating a complete payload delivery chain from Earth to the lunar surface for NASA missions.
Days after SpaceX won a NASA contract to launch a galaxy-mapping space telescope, the space agency has selected Falcon Heavy to launch a small space station to the Moon some four years from now. Loosely known as Gateway, NASA and a few of its ‘centers’ have been floating the concept for years – partially on […]
Airbus studies “Moon Cruiser” concept for ESA’s cis-lunar transfer vehicle
Versatile, autonomous logistics vehicle to support future lunar missions based on heritage from Orion ESM and ATV.
Airbus has been awarded a CLTV (Cis-Lunar Transfer Vehicle) study for a Moon Cruiser by the European Space Agency (ESA). According to the study concept (two parallel Phase A/B1), the CLTV is a versatile, autonomous logistics vehicle that could, for example, provide timely and efficient support to NASA and ESA in the implementation of the future Artemis Moon missions. The spacecraft will be based on existing and proven technologies and will complement the multipurpose European Large Logistic Lander (EL3).