Rocket Lab Space Software Supports Lunar Landing for Firefly’s Blue Ghost 1 Mission

Rhea-AI Summary

Rocket Lab (RKLB) has announced the successful Moon landing of Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 on March 2, 2024, supported by Rocket Lab's MAX Flight and MAX Ground Data Software suites. The mission utilized Rocket Lab's comprehensive software solutions for commanding, telemetry, navigation, and control throughout all mission phases.

Rocket Lab's Mission Operations Center in Littleton, Colorado served as a backup operations center, where their team collaborated with Firefly's operations team for orbit determination and mission monitoring. The company also provided three high-efficiency solar power assemblies delivering 400W of power over 1,470 operational hours.

The Blue Ghost mission, part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, aims to advance lunar science and exploration by delivering state-of-the-art instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon.

Positive

• Successful Moon landing mission demonstrates RKLB's software capabilities
• Expanded service offering in lunar missions through NASA's CLPS program
• Proven integration of multiple RKLB technologies (software + solar power systems)

Negative

• None.

Insights

Space Technology Analyst

Rocket Lab's software has demonstrated critical capabilities by supporting Firefly Aerospace's successful Blue Ghost 1 lunar landing - a significant technical achievement in the space sector. Their MAX Flight and Ground Data Software suites provided essential functions including commanding, telemetry, navigation, guidance, and autonomous sequencing throughout the mission phases.

Beyond software, Rocket Lab supplied high-efficiency solar power assemblies generating 400W of power for the 1,470-hour operation, while their Colorado Mission Operations Center served as backup for mission control. This successful mission execution highlights Rocket Lab's diversification beyond launch services into higher-margin space systems and software solutions.

The Blue Ghost mission's success strengthens Rocket Lab's position within NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program - a key government initiative for lunar exploration. This successful demonstration validates Rocket Lab's technical capabilities in the highly complex lunar operations domain, potentially positioning them for additional NASA contracts and commercial opportunities in deep space missions.

This achievement reinforces Rocket Lab's evolution from primarily a launch provider to a comprehensive space solutions company capable of supporting the most challenging missions beyond Earth orbit. The successful lunar landing using their software and components provides powerful validation for future business development in high-value space systems segments.

Aerospace Systems Engineer

The successful implementation of Rocket Lab's MAX software suite on Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar mission represents a significant technical validation of their flight software capabilities. What's particularly notable is the autonomous functionality demonstrated during the critical descent and landing phases - arguably the most challenging aspects of lunar missions where communications delays prohibit real-time human intervention.

This mission showcases Rocket Lab's strategic expansion into higher-margin, software-intensive space systems that complement their launch business. The company has cleverly leveraged their flight heritage and operational expertise into modular software products applicable across multiple mission types - effectively expanding their addressable market beyond their own launch vehicle customers.

From a technical perspective, providing both the software and critical power systems demonstrates vertical integration capabilities that differentiate Rocket Lab from competitors who may offer only discrete components. The solar assemblies' 400W generation over 1,470 operational hours reflects robust engineering for the harsh lunar environment.

This mission success has particular significance in the context of recent lunar landing failures by other companies. The CLPS program represents a long-term NASA strategy with multiple mission opportunities. By demonstrating reliable performance on this mission, Rocket Lab positions itself as a trusted partner for future CLPS missions and commercial lunar initiatives, potentially opening a new revenue stream beyond traditional satellite deployments to Earth orbit.

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, celebrated the successful Moon landing of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 on March 2 at 8:34 a.m. UTC (3:34 a.m. ET), supported by Rocket Lab’s MAX Flight and MAX Ground Data Software suites.

Firefly’s Blue Ghost 1 lander is enabled by Rocket Lab’s MAX Flight and MAX Ground Data Software suite, a modular and autonomous proven flight software providing commanding, telemetry, autonomous sequencing, attitude determination, guidance, navigation, control, fault protection and more through all mission phases, including descent and landing.

Rocket Lab’s Mission Operations Center in Littleton, Colorado, served as a remote and backup operations center for Firefly’s Texas homebase. The Company’s spacecraft operations team worked alongside Firefly’s Blue Ghost operations team in both Colorado and Texas, performing orbit determination, planning maneuvers, generating commands, and monitoring the lander’s onboard guidance, navigation, and control system health throughout the orbital and landing phases of the mission.

Additionally, Rocket Lab provided three high-efficiency solar power assemblies, mounted on the lander’s sides and top deck, providing 400 W of power over the mission’s 1,470 operational hours.

Kyle Andringa, Rocket Lab’s Senior Director Space Systems Software, commented: “Congratulations to the Firefly team for the successful landing of the Blue Ghost 1 mission, a remarkable accomplishment achieved by few. Rocket Lab is honored to support this mission with our flight-proven space software and state-of-the-art components.”

Firefly’s Blue Ghost mission is advancing lunar science and exploration by delivering state-of-the-art instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.

+ About Rocket Lab

Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, a family of spacecraft platforms, and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered more than 200 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s spacecraft platforms have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.

+ Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational expansion and business strategy are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at www.rocketlabusa.com, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250303038729/en/

+ Rocket Lab Media Contact

Lindsay McLaurin

media@rocketlabusa.com

Source: Rocket Lab USA, Inc.

FAQ

What role did Rocket Lab (RKLB) play in Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar landing mission?

Rocket Lab provided MAX Flight and MAX Ground Data Software suites for mission control, plus three solar power assemblies delivering 400W of power for the lander.

When did Firefly's Blue Ghost Mission 1 successfully land on the Moon?

The Blue Ghost Mission 1 landed on the Moon on March 2, 2024, at 8:34 a.m. UTC (3:34 a.m. ET).

How long was the Blue Ghost mission's operational duration supported by RKLB's solar power systems?

The mission's solar power assemblies operated for 1,470 hours, providing 400W of power throughout the mission.

What NASA program is the Blue Ghost lunar mission part of?

The Blue Ghost mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program for lunar science and exploration.