{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"45671","rtpr_id":"nGNX7m5rqR","ticker":"FLY","exchange":"NASDAQ","all_tickers":["FLY"],"title":"Firefly Aerospace Wins $75 Million NASA JPL MoonFall Subcontract to Deliver Drones to the Moon’s South Pole","author":"Globe Newswire","published_at":"2026-05-26T20:01:00.135Z","article_body":"CEDAR PARK, Texas, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Firefly Aerospace\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=PY310GrxsCaQSKzZH49JqrjapjLpsVMGGorM7kRy2aN-jwIthpTpq6v6LtE343fTkJw-d3zWFRiM0KOjq8t05dt4jQOsLn-Cg3a9ND_RyPQ=)\n(Nasdaq: FLY), a market leading space and defense technology company, today\nannounced it was awarded a $75 million subcontract from NASA’s Jet\nPropulsion Laboratory (JPL) to deliver four drones to the Moon’s south pole\nin support of the agency’s MoonFall mission, targeted to launch no earlier\nthan 2028. MoonFall is part of the first phase of NASA’s Moon Base, a\nlong-term lunar exploration and infrastructure initiative designed to enable\nsustained human presence and expanded scientific and commercial activity at\nthe lunar south pole.\n\n\"NASA’s MoonFall is an incredible breakthrough mission well aligned with the\nbold innovation and successful execution that Firefly is known for,” said\nJason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. \"This subcontract underscores our\ncommitment to executing challenging missions that push the boundaries of lunar\nexploration. Built upon the same proven systems that landed Blue Ghost on the\nMoon, our Elytra spacecraft are equipped to deploy critical high-mass payloads\nacross cislunar space.”\n\nJPL is building the drones and managing the mission for NASA, which will\nsource the launch vehicle for MoonFall. Upon launching, Firefly’s Elytra\nspacecraft will carry the drones over a 45-day transit to the Moon and enter\nlunar orbit before deorbiting and performing a braking maneuver to deploy the\ndrones approximately 50 km above the Moon’s south pole.\n\nThe MoonFall drones will then land and operate over the course of a single\nlunar day (up to 14 Earth days) to survey the lunar south pole terrain,\nincluding permanently shadowed regions, with high-definition optical cameras\nand instruments. Based on the legacy of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter,\nthe drones will be capable of multiple propulsive hops to explore\nhard-to-reach areas and map safe landing spots and resources, such as water\nice, in support of future human missions under NASA’s Artemis program. After\neach drone’s final flight, its survive-the-night payload will continue to\noperate for several months, marking a sustained U.S. presence at the lunar\nsouth pole.\n\nThe MoonFall subcontract builds on Firefly’s growing portfolio of spacecraft\nmissions, including three additional missions to the Moon through NASA’s\nCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Firefly recently\ncompleted critical test milestones for Blue Ghost Mission 2\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=e8PwHGig30MeQ2nEPdZFbntgoiH652kAhh0ZeKGznz2tZVnQ38tQEvXt17T1nZCUBIUNywV9n3dnOYoNhHxq68PSqmd8NGvRLu1ellPPyKqHfMBfulbrOSZR_RC5U_O1d6FZjCeDdRy_ZlFn7xIy4Q==)\nand is making significant progress on Blue Ghost Missions 3 and 4 as the\ncompany simultaneously expands its cleanroom\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=SoQOIR1q1Ex7SGCQwxa-HMYDv1iJtY7piYmmPuBJUbWo1s7fQT3_FntiWqoXvzpqVpmMx0z6mJdqDSKXhnk4p3efCXYC-E7RfMCWZtuSwIzahxcqXf99fX3HZ2F6KDZSAYBroLS27VwcZ7Epozdf7ptKDRs77KCRq1NmL2XGYzVKp02JyHGlj6UTPobZGYVbCpAvQ9mQjYa60QktXriCZUeV9aCHyqR6DC--Leu_42ccooAle8ZG-YKoaZN_Zf7x)\nto enable an assembly line of lunar landers and spacecraft.\n\n“As NASA accelerates its Moon Base initiatives, Firefly is rapidly scaling\nspacecraft production to support these missions and subsequent Blue Ghost\nlunar landings,” said Ray Allensworth, Vice President of Spacecraft at\nFirefly aerospace. “This is a transformational era for our industry, and\nwe're excited to add this innovative mission to our growing manifest.”\n\nFirefly’s Elytra spacecraft are built with proven systems from Blue Ghost\nMission 1\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=e8PwHGig30MeQ2nEPdZFbr38XmaahrwdCngL1OZ3xGWVxAdeTAylHcDrJEnS1RvAGM2hvSukKdiSeBI93FTHDF7bC7cqXLbX0AovXiWhFy-MjpatVLu7-ZP8YehtU8EOecIHar2WC1ketEPbNznviw==),\nincluding the core avionics, carbon composite structures, and Spectre engines\nthat enabled the first successful commercial Moon landing. With high delta-V\nand added payload capacity, the Elytra Dark configuration for the MoonFall\nmission is equipped to deliver 1,000 kg of drones.\n\nFor more information on NASA’s MoonFall mission, visit\nhttps://fireflyspace.com/missions/elytra-nasa-moonfall/ or\nhttps://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/moonfall.\n\nAbout Firefly Aerospace \nFirefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to\nreliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to\nthe Moon and beyond. As the partner of choice for responsive space missions,\nFirefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with\napproximately 24-hour notice and the first to achieve a successful landing on\nthe Moon. Established in 2017, Firefly’s engineering, manufacturing, and\ntest facilities are co-located in central Texas to enable rapid innovation and\nvertical integration for the company’s small- to medium-lift launch\nvehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles. For more information,\nvisit www.fireflyspace.com.\n\nForward-Looking Statement\nThis press release contains “forward-looking statements” including, but\nnot limited to, statements regarding expectations regarding timing of the\nMoonFall mission, Elytra and drone performance specifics and capabilities,\ntargets for drone surveys, status of Firefly’s Blue Ghost missions,\nstatements of Firefly’s chief executive officer and other statements\nregarding Firefly’s future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives,\nfinancial condition, assumptions, future events, or performance that are not\nhistorical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements\nbecause they contain words such as “enable,” “demonstrate,” “may,”\n“will,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,”\n“would,” “target”, “intends,” “support,” and “believes.”\nThere may also be negative words or other similar terms or expressions that\nconcern our expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions. Not all\nforward-looking statements contain such identifying words. The inclusion of\nforward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation that\nsuch plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. Readers are cautioned\nnot to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained\nherein, which speak only as of the date hereof. These statements are based on\nmanagement’s current expectations, assumptions, and beliefs concerning\nfuture developments, which are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks, and\nchanges in circumstances that are difficult to predict. We cannot assure you\nthat the events reflected in the forward-looking statements will occur; actual\nevents could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking\nstatements. In addition to the risks and uncertainties of our ordinary\nbusiness operations and conditions in the general economy and markets in which\nwe compete, the forward-looking statements in this press release are subject\nto the risks, uncertainties, and other factors disclosed in our filings with\nthe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Form 10-Q for the\nthree months ended March 31, 2026, which risks, uncertainties, and other\nfactors could cause actual events to differ materially from those described in\nthe forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as\nof the date as of which such statement is made, and except as required by law,\nwe undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking\nstatements whether because of new information, future events; etc.\n\nMedia Contact\npress@fireflyspace.com\n\nA photo accompanying this announcement is available at\nhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4660de3e-abd3-4b7d-846c-00bcf4793424\n\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b66bcfb-af54-4bcf-a44e-b7a67daaf416)\nFirefly's Elytra Spacecraft - NASA MoonFall \n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4660de3e-abd3-4b7d-846c-00bcf4793424/en)\nRendering of Firefly's Elytra orbital vehicle deploying NASA MoonFall drones\nabove the Moon's south pole.\n\n\nGlobeNewswire, Inc. 2026","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nGNX7m5rqR","title":"Firefly Aerospace Wins $75 Million NASA JPL MoonFall Subcontract to Deliver Drones to the Moon’s South Pole","author":"Globe Newswire","ticker":"FLY","created":"2026-05-26T20:01:00.135Z","tickers":["FLY"],"exchange":"NASDAQ","article_body":"CEDAR PARK, Texas, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Firefly Aerospace\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=PY310GrxsCaQSKzZH49JqrjapjLpsVMGGorM7kRy2aN-jwIthpTpq6v6LtE343fTkJw-d3zWFRiM0KOjq8t05dt4jQOsLn-Cg3a9ND_RyPQ=)\n(Nasdaq: FLY), a market leading space and defense technology company, today\nannounced it was awarded a $75 million subcontract from NASA’s Jet\nPropulsion Laboratory (JPL) to deliver four drones to the Moon’s south pole\nin support of the agency’s MoonFall mission, targeted to launch no earlier\nthan 2028. MoonFall is part of the first phase of NASA’s Moon Base, a\nlong-term lunar exploration and infrastructure initiative designed to enable\nsustained human presence and expanded scientific and commercial activity at\nthe lunar south pole.\n\n\"NASA’s MoonFall is an incredible breakthrough mission well aligned with the\nbold innovation and successful execution that Firefly is known for,” said\nJason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. \"This subcontract underscores our\ncommitment to executing challenging missions that push the boundaries of lunar\nexploration. Built upon the same proven systems that landed Blue Ghost on the\nMoon, our Elytra spacecraft are equipped to deploy critical high-mass payloads\nacross cislunar space.”\n\nJPL is building the drones and managing the mission for NASA, which will\nsource the launch vehicle for MoonFall. Upon launching, Firefly’s Elytra\nspacecraft will carry the drones over a 45-day transit to the Moon and enter\nlunar orbit before deorbiting and performing a braking maneuver to deploy the\ndrones approximately 50 km above the Moon’s south pole.\n\nThe MoonFall drones will then land and operate over the course of a single\nlunar day (up to 14 Earth days) to survey the lunar south pole terrain,\nincluding permanently shadowed regions, with high-definition optical cameras\nand instruments. Based on the legacy of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter,\nthe drones will be capable of multiple propulsive hops to explore\nhard-to-reach areas and map safe landing spots and resources, such as water\nice, in support of future human missions under NASA’s Artemis program. After\neach drone’s final flight, its survive-the-night payload will continue to\noperate for several months, marking a sustained U.S. presence at the lunar\nsouth pole.\n\nThe MoonFall subcontract builds on Firefly’s growing portfolio of spacecraft\nmissions, including three additional missions to the Moon through NASA’s\nCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Firefly recently\ncompleted critical test milestones for Blue Ghost Mission 2\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=e8PwHGig30MeQ2nEPdZFbntgoiH652kAhh0ZeKGznz2tZVnQ38tQEvXt17T1nZCUBIUNywV9n3dnOYoNhHxq68PSqmd8NGvRLu1ellPPyKqHfMBfulbrOSZR_RC5U_O1d6FZjCeDdRy_ZlFn7xIy4Q==)\nand is making significant progress on Blue Ghost Missions 3 and 4 as the\ncompany simultaneously expands its cleanroom\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=SoQOIR1q1Ex7SGCQwxa-HMYDv1iJtY7piYmmPuBJUbWo1s7fQT3_FntiWqoXvzpqVpmMx0z6mJdqDSKXhnk4p3efCXYC-E7RfMCWZtuSwIzahxcqXf99fX3HZ2F6KDZSAYBroLS27VwcZ7Epozdf7ptKDRs77KCRq1NmL2XGYzVKp02JyHGlj6UTPobZGYVbCpAvQ9mQjYa60QktXriCZUeV9aCHyqR6DC--Leu_42ccooAle8ZG-YKoaZN_Zf7x)\nto enable an assembly line of lunar landers and spacecraft.\n\n“As NASA accelerates its Moon Base initiatives, Firefly is rapidly scaling\nspacecraft production to support these missions and subsequent Blue Ghost\nlunar landings,” said Ray Allensworth, Vice President of Spacecraft at\nFirefly aerospace. “This is a transformational era for our industry, and\nwe're excited to add this innovative mission to our growing manifest.”\n\nFirefly’s Elytra spacecraft are built with proven systems from Blue Ghost\nMission 1\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=e8PwHGig30MeQ2nEPdZFbr38XmaahrwdCngL1OZ3xGWVxAdeTAylHcDrJEnS1RvAGM2hvSukKdiSeBI93FTHDF7bC7cqXLbX0AovXiWhFy-MjpatVLu7-ZP8YehtU8EOecIHar2WC1ketEPbNznviw==),\nincluding the core avionics, carbon composite structures, and Spectre engines\nthat enabled the first successful commercial Moon landing. With high delta-V\nand added payload capacity, the Elytra Dark configuration for the MoonFall\nmission is equipped to deliver 1,000 kg of drones.\n\nFor more information on NASA’s MoonFall mission, visit\nhttps://fireflyspace.com/missions/elytra-nasa-moonfall/ or\nhttps://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/moonfall.\n\nAbout Firefly Aerospace \nFirefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to\nreliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to\nthe Moon and beyond. As the partner of choice for responsive space missions,\nFirefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with\napproximately 24-hour notice and the first to achieve a successful landing on\nthe Moon. Established in 2017, Firefly’s engineering, manufacturing, and\ntest facilities are co-located in central Texas to enable rapid innovation and\nvertical integration for the company’s small- to medium-lift launch\nvehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles. For more information,\nvisit www.fireflyspace.com.\n\nForward-Looking Statement\nThis press release contains “forward-looking statements” including, but\nnot limited to, statements regarding expectations regarding timing of the\nMoonFall mission, Elytra and drone performance specifics and capabilities,\ntargets for drone surveys, status of Firefly’s Blue Ghost missions,\nstatements of Firefly’s chief executive officer and other statements\nregarding Firefly’s future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives,\nfinancial condition, assumptions, future events, or performance that are not\nhistorical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements\nbecause they contain words such as “enable,” “demonstrate,” “may,”\n“will,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,”\n“would,” “target”, “intends,” “support,” and “believes.”\nThere may also be negative words or other similar terms or expressions that\nconcern our expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions. Not all\nforward-looking statements contain such identifying words. The inclusion of\nforward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation that\nsuch plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. Readers are cautioned\nnot to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained\nherein, which speak only as of the date hereof. These statements are based on\nmanagement’s current expectations, assumptions, and beliefs concerning\nfuture developments, which are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks, and\nchanges in circumstances that are difficult to predict. We cannot assure you\nthat the events reflected in the forward-looking statements will occur; actual\nevents could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking\nstatements. In addition to the risks and uncertainties of our ordinary\nbusiness operations and conditions in the general economy and markets in which\nwe compete, the forward-looking statements in this press release are subject\nto the risks, uncertainties, and other factors disclosed in our filings with\nthe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Form 10-Q for the\nthree months ended March 31, 2026, which risks, uncertainties, and other\nfactors could cause actual events to differ materially from those described in\nthe forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as\nof the date as of which such statement is made, and except as required by law,\nwe undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking\nstatements whether because of new information, future events; etc.\n\nMedia Contact\npress@fireflyspace.com\n\nA photo accompanying this announcement is available at\nhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4660de3e-abd3-4b7d-846c-00bcf4793424\n\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b66bcfb-af54-4bcf-a44e-b7a67daaf416)\nFirefly's Elytra Spacecraft - NASA MoonFall \n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4660de3e-abd3-4b7d-846c-00bcf4793424/en)\nRendering of Firefly's Elytra orbital vehicle deploying NASA MoonFall drones\nabove the Moon's south pole.\n\n\nGlobeNewswire, Inc. 2026"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-05-26T20:01:00.172083782Z","server_sent_at_ms":1779825660172},"received_at":"2026-05-26T20:01:00.327Z","source_url":null},"analysis":{"id":"35105","press_release_id":"45671","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Aerospace & Defense","sector":"Industrials"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"operations_update","narrative":"Firefly Aerospace secured a $75 million subcontract from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to deliver four drones to the Moon’s south pole.\n\nThe mission, part of NASA’s MoonFall initiative, targets a launch no earlier than 2028 and utilizes Firefly’s Elytra spacecraft, which is built on proven systems from the Blue Ghost lunar lander.\n\nThis win reinforces Firefly’s role in NASA’s Artemis program and validates its ability to execute complex cislunar missions, adding to its existing portfolio of three other CLPS lunar missions.","sentiment":"bullish","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":true,"suggestedAngle":"Firefly wins $75M NASA contract for lunar drone delivery, cementing its role in the Artemis architecture."},"keyFigures":{"dealValueUsd":75000000,"customDimensions":{"drone_count":4,"transit_days":45,"payload_capacity_kg":1000}},"quotedText":"This subcontract underscores our commitment to executing challenging missions that push the boundaries of lunar exploration.","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Jason Kim","role":"CEO"},{"name":"Ray Allensworth","role":"Vice President of Spacecraft"}],"products":["Elytra","Blue Ghost","MoonFall","Spectre engines"],"companies":[{"name":"Firefly Aerospace","ticker":"FLY","relationship":"filer"},{"name":"NASA","relationship":"customer"},{"name":"Jet Propulsion Laboratory","relationship":"contracting agency"}],"dollarAmounts":[{"amount":"$75 million","context":"subcontract value"}]},"materialImpact":{"score":3,"reasoning":"A $75M subcontract is a material revenue win for a mid-cap space company, validating their Elytra spacecraft technology and securing a spot in NASA's Artemis/Moon Base architecture. However, the launch is not until 2028+, so the financial impact is back-loaded."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[],"primary":"FLY"},"globalImportance":45,"audienceRelevance":55,"eventTypeSecondary":["partnership"],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap","eventGravity":"major-contract-win","sectorWeight":"high","householdBrandBoost":"moderate","retailFavoriteBoost":"low"}},"event_type":"operations_update","event_type_secondary":["partnership"],"sentiment":"bullish","material_impact_score":3,"narrative":"Firefly Aerospace secured a $75 million subcontract from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to deliver four drones to the Moon’s south pole.\n\nThe mission, part of NASA’s MoonFall initiative, targets a launch no earlier than 2028 and utilizes Firefly’s Elytra spacecraft, which is built on proven systems from the Blue Ghost lunar lander.\n\nThis win reinforces Firefly’s role in NASA’s Artemis program and validates its ability to execute complex cislunar missions, adding to its existing portfolio of three other CLPS lunar missions.","key_figures":{"dealValueUsd":75000000,"customDimensions":{"drone_count":4,"transit_days":45,"payload_capacity_kg":1000}},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"Jason Kim","role":"CEO"},{"name":"Ray Allensworth","role":"Vice President of Spacecraft"}],"products":["Elytra","Blue Ghost","MoonFall","Spectre engines"],"companies":[{"name":"Firefly Aerospace","ticker":"FLY","relationship":"filer"},{"name":"NASA","relationship":"customer"},{"name":"Jet Propulsion Laboratory","relationship":"contracting agency"}],"dollarAmounts":[{"amount":"$75 million","context":"subcontract value"}]},"model_name":"qwen3_6_27b_awq","prompt_hash":"sha256:727b4b9429a443af","schema_hash":"sha256:05005c02d9cffac9","created_at":"2026-05-26T20:01:19.472Z","global_importance":45,"audience_relevance":55,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap","eventGravity":"major-contract-win","sectorWeight":"high","householdBrandBoost":"moderate","retailFavoriteBoost":"low"}},"durationMs":18907,"modelName":"george-droid-qwen-72b"}}