Firefly Aerospace (Nasdaq: FLY) has announced a commercial payload agreement with Zeno Power Systems to deliver its Survive-the-Night Package, including a Radioisotope Heater Unit (RHU), on a future Firefly mission to the Moon’s near side. Scheduled to launch no earlier than 2028, the mission will demonstrate technologies designed to help spacecraft, lunar infrastructure and future Moon Base systems operate through the extreme cold and prolonged darkness of the 14-day lunar night.
“Firefly is proud to collaborate with innovative companies like Zeno to solve one of the most complex challenges of lunar exploration—surviving the lunar night,” said Ray Allensworth, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace. “Our first Blue Ghost mission gave us firsthand insight into the Moon’s extreme thermal environment, where we measured temperatures ranging from more than 230°F during the lunar day to below -275°F at night. Now we’re looking forward to advancing technologies that can extend missions beyond sunset and support long-duration surface operations required for NASA’s Moon Base initiative and the growing lunar economy.”
Zeno’s Survive-the-Night Package will be onboarded to one of Firefly’s existing Blue Ghost missions returning to the Moon’s near side as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. After landing, Blue Ghost will initially operate multiple NASA CLPS payloads using solar power throughout the lunar day, which is equivalent to approximately 14 Earth days. Zeno’s payload will then operate during the lunar night and transmit operational data back to Earth.
The Zeno payload consists of a 5-watt thermal americium-241 RHU and a dedicated platform incorporating structural, communications, electrical power, command and data handling, and thermal management subsystems. The RHU generates passive thermal energy through the natural decay of radioactive material, providing continuous heat without relying on solar power.
The lightweight and compact system is designed to keep critical spacecraft components operational during the extremely cold lunar night, when temperatures can fall below -280°F. The technology is also intended for use within permanently shadowed regions that never receive direct sunlight.
“Hardware capable of surviving the extreme cold of the lunar night will be essential to enabling sustained operations on the Moon,” said Tyler Bernstein, CEO and Co-Founder of Zeno Power. “NASA’s Moon Base Program has identified the need for technologies such as radioisotope power systems to support future lunar exploration, and Zeno is proud to answer that call to demonstrate this capability aboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost mission. As demand for long-duration lunar infrastructure grows, we are building the production capacity to support future commercial and government missions.”
The Blue Ghost demonstration will provide data to advance radioisotope and nuclear-powered technologies for future robotic and human lunar missions requiring extended operations beyond sunset. The mission builds on the success of Blue Ghost Mission 1, which achieved the first successful commercial Moon landing in 2025, and follows Firefly’s upcoming missions to the Moon’s far side and Gruithuisen Domes.
