This article is based on an official press release from Firefly Aerospace.

Firefly Aerospace to Host Volta Wireless Power Tech on Far Side Lunar Mission

Firefly Aerospace has announced a new commercial agreement to transport a wireless power receiver developed by Volta Space Technologies to the lunar surface. The payload, known as “LightPort,” will fly aboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 2, which is currently scheduled to launch in 2026. The mission targets the Schrödinger Basin on the far side of the Moon, a destination selected to support NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.

According to the company’s announcement, this collaboration marks a critical step in establishing a power utility infrastructure on the Moon. While solar power is effective during the lunar day, the lunar night lasts approximately 14 Earth days, with temperatures plunging to -173°C (-280°F). This extreme environment typically renders standard solar-powered landers inoperable. Volta’s technology aims to solve this by beaming power from orbit to surface assets, allowing them to survive and operate through the night.

Validating the “LightGrid” Architecture

The payload for this specific mission is the LightPort receiver. Its primary objective is to validate Volta’s ability to track a power source and convert optical energy into electricity in the harsh lunar environment. Successful validation of the receiver is a prerequisite for Volta’s broader vision: the “LightGrid.”

The LightGrid concept involves a constellation of satellites designed to beam laser power to rovers, landers, and other infrastructure on the lunar surface. By providing a continuous power source similar to a terrestrial utility grid, Volta hopes to enable permanent lunar operations that are not constrained by the two-week cycle of darkness.

In a statement regarding the partnership, Justin Zipkin, CEO of Volta Space Technologies, emphasized the importance of testing hardware in actual lunar conditions:

“Partnering with Firefly on Blue Ghost Mission 2 is an important step forward for Volta and the future of lunar infrastructure. This collaboration allows us to prove our LightPort receiver in a real lunar environment and move one step closer to delivering a fully integrated power grid for the Moon.”

Blue Ghost Mission 2 Overview

Blue Ghost Mission 2 represents a complex, multi-national effort. While the mission is anchored by NASA’s LuSEE-Night radio telescope, which seeks to detect signals from the universe’s “Dark Ages”, Firefly is utilizing the mission’s excess capacity to support commercial and international partners.

The mission architecture utilizes two primary vehicles:

• Blue Ghost Lander: Will deliver surface payloads, including the Volta LightPort and NASA’s LuSEE-Night, to the Schrödinger Basin.
• Elytra Dark Orbital Vehicle: Will act as a transfer vehicle to deliver the lander and satellites to lunar orbit. Following deployment, Elytra is designed to remain in orbit for more than five years, acting as a communications relay and providing imaging services.

Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, noted that the mission’s infrastructure is designed to support long-term commercial goals beyond simple transport:

“Our international mission will enable critical technology demonstrations that lay the groundwork for lasting operations on the Moon. Longer term, our Blue Ghost landers and Elytra orbiters are well equipped to support Volta’s larger vision for a lunar power network.”

International Payload Manifest

In addition to the Volta payload and NASA’s experiments, the mission will carry a diverse array of technology from global partners. According to mission details released by Firefly and its partners, the manifest includes:

• ESA (Europe): The Lunar Pathfinder communications satellite.
• MBRSC (UAE): The Rashid Rover 2.
• Fleet Space Technologies (Australia): The SPIDER seismic payload for subsurface analysis.

AirPro News Analysis

We view this partnership as a significant indicator of the maturing commercial lunar economy. Early commercial missions focused primarily on the logistics of transport, simply proving that private companies could land on the Moon. The integration of Volta’s power receiver signals a shift toward “Day 2” operations: establishing the utilities (power, communications, and data relay) required for sustained presence.

If Volta’s receiver technology proves successful in 2026, it could reduce the design constraints for future rovers, which currently must carry heavy batteries or radioactive heating units to survive the lunar night. By decoupling power generation from the surface day-night cycle, companies like Firefly and Volta are attempting to lower the barrier to entry for future industrial and scientific lunar activities.

Sources

• Firefly Aerospace
• Volta Space Technologies
• NASA CLPS