Startups: FLY) and Zeno Power Systems have finalized a commercial payload agreement to integrate a specialized radioisotope heater unit onto a future Blue Ghost lunar lander, a system designed to keep spacecraft operational through the deep freeze of the lunar night. Announced in a press release on August 19, 2026, the mission is targeted for launch no earlier than 2028 and will head to the near side of the Moon.

The integration of Zeno Power’s “Survive-the-Night Package” aims to address a critical capability gap identified by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for sustained lunar exploration and the development of future Moon Base infrastructure.

Overcoming the lunar thermal environment

The lunar day and night cycle presents one of the most severe environmental challenges for spacecraft design. A single lunar night lasts approximately 14 Earth days, during which surface temperatures plummet. Data collected during Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 in 2025 recorded temperatures exceeding 230 degrees Fahrenheit during the lunar day and dropping below -275 degrees Fahrenheit after sunset.

Previous commercial lunar landers have successfully operated using solar power during the lunar day but routinely ceased operations once the sun set and thermal limits were exceeded. The upcoming 2028 mission will operate under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Upon landing, the Blue Ghost spacecraft will utilize solar power to run multiple NASA CLPS payloads for the duration of the lunar day. Once darkness falls, Zeno Power’s payload will take over operations, transmitting data back to Earth throughout the 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. 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.” — Ray Allensworth, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace

Radioisotope technology and payload specifications

The core of the Survive-the-Night Package is a Radioisotope Heater Unit (RHU) developed by Zeno Power. The system utilizes americium-241, a radioactive isotope that generates passive thermal energy through natural decay. This process provides continuous heat without relying on solar arrays or battery reserves.

According to the press release, the RHU will generate 5 Watts of thermal energy. The complete payload package includes a dedicated platform equipped with structural, communications, electrical power, command and data handling, and thermal management subsystems.

Tyler Bernstein, CEO and Co-Founder of Zeno Power, emphasized the necessity of the technology for future missions.

“Hardware capable of surviving the extreme cold of the lunar night will be essential to enabling sustained operations on the Moon. 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.”

AirPro News analysis

The inability to survive the 14-day lunar night has been a hard ceiling for commercial lunar operations. By integrating americium-241 radioisotope technology, Firefly Aerospace and Zeno Power are targeting a bottleneck that must be resolved before NASA can establish permanent or semi-permanent lunar infrastructure. We view this 2028 demonstration as a critical proving ground. If the Survive-the-Night Package successfully maintains command, data handling, and communications through the -275-degree Fahrenheit freeze, it will validate a scalable thermal management model for future commercial landers, rovers, and stationary habitats. The shift from solar-dependent, single-lunar-day missions to continuous operations is a prerequisite for a viable commercial lunar economy.

Sources: Firefly Aerospace

NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies announced on August 19, 2026, that the commercial LINK spacecraft will no longer attempt to capture and boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory in low Earth orbit. The mission will instead pivot to gathering data through rendezvous and proximity operations following persistent attitude control issues with the LINK vehicle.

In a press release issued by NASA, the agency confirmed the cancellation of the capture phase of the $30 million Swift Boost mission. The unprecedented commercial effort was designed to extend the life of the 20-year-old observatory, which has experienced accelerated orbital decay due to increased solar activity. With the boost attempt aborted, the Swift Observatory is expected to undergo an uncontrolled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere later this year.

Mission timeline and technical challenges

Katalyst Space Technologies designed, built, and launched the LINK spacecraft in less than a year. The vehicle deployed into orbit on July 3, 2026, aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket, which was air-launched from an L-1011 Stargazer aircraft over the Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Following the launch, the LINK spacecraft encountered attitude control anomalies. On August 11, 2026, Katalyst Space successfully uploaded a flight Software update that temporarily reestablished control. Ongoing issues ultimately precluded the complex robotic capture of the government spacecraft, which was not originally designed for on-orbit servicing. Prior to the pivot, NASA had maintained the Swift Observatory at a minimum altitude of 185 miles (300 kilometers) to optimize the chances of a successful boost.

Strategic pivot and industry response

Rather than attempting the physical capture, the LINK spacecraft will now conduct rendezvous and proximity operations near the Swift Observatory. This revised flight profile aims to collect data that will inform future satellite servicing missions.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman defended the rapid-acquisition approach and the decision to attempt the high-risk mission.

“NASA should be willing to move quickly and take smart risks when the potential return is worth it, and that is exactly what we did with this mission. This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting.”

Isaacman added that the agency intends to apply the lessons learned from the rendezvous attempt to subsequent missions. Katalyst Space Technologies CEO Ghonhee Lee emphasized the value of the milestones achieved during the accelerated development cycle. Lee stated that the company’s focus is now on building a repeatable playbook for future proximity operations and satellite servicing based on the experimental spacecraft’s performance.

AirPro News analysis

The pivot of the Swift Boost mission highlights the inherent difficulties of on-orbit servicing, particularly when interacting with legacy assets lacking dedicated capture interfaces. While the failure to boost the Swift Observatory represents a loss for the immediate scientific community relying on its data, the mission’s rapid procurement and deployment model remains a notable shift in government contracting. We view the $30 million fixed-price approach as a template NASA is likely to reuse. The willingness to accept higher mission risk for lower cost and faster deployment indicates a maturing relationship between federal space agencies and agile commercial spaceflight Startups, even when primary mission objectives are not fully realized.

Sources: NASA

Viasat Inc. (VSAT) has selected Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB) to manufacture the spacecraft bus for a new geosynchronous Earth orbit satellite, advancing the U.S. Space Force’s Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global program. The Partnerships, announced on August 17, 2026, pairs Viasat’s anti-jam communications payload with Rocket Lab’s spacecraft platform to provide resilient connectivity for military operations in contested environments.

According to a joint press release, the collaboration stems from a prime contract awarded to Viasat on May 22, 2026, by the U.S. Space-Agencies (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC). Under the Swarm 1 contract, Viasat is tasked with delivering one of the first small, maneuverable satellites for the Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global (PTS-G) constellation. The prime contract includes a five-year mandate for operations, cybersecurity, and sustainment services.

Spacecraft design and payload integration

Rocket Lab will utilize its Lightning spacecraft platform, specifically configured for the geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) environment, to host Viasat’s dual-band X/Ka-band payload. The integration and Manufacturing processes will take place across the companies’ respective facilities in Carlsbad and Long Beach, California.

The PTS-G program is designed to provide secure, jam-resistant communications for U.S. and allied forces. Craig Miller, President of Viasat Government, emphasized the operational focus of the joint effort.

“This production award represents an important step forward in delivering the next generation of protected satellite communications capabilities for the U.S. Space Force. By combining Viasat’s cutting-edge communications payload technology with Rocket Lab’s proven spacecraft platform, we are advancing a more agile and resilient GEO architecture designed to support mission-critical communications hot spots in contested environments.”

Expanding national security space footprint

The PTS-G subcontract marks another milestone in Rocket Lab’s rapid expansion into the defense and national security sector. Sir Peter Beck, Founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, stated that moving from design into production highlights the company’s growing role in national security space, adding that the vertically integrated spacecraft will help deliver infrastructure that keeps forces connected in contested environments.

The Viasat partnership follows two other major defense Contracts awarded to Rocket Lab during the same week. On August 17, 2026, the company was onboarded to the Space Force’s $981 million NITE-STAR program to develop space test and training infrastructure. The following day, on August 18, 2026, the Space Force selected Rocket Lab for the Space Data Network Consortium, backed by $12 million in contracts to support the Global Military Communications Network.

AirPro News analysis

We view Rocket Lab’s selection for the PTS-G bus as a strong indicator of the U.S. Space Force’s shifting procurement Strategy. By moving away from massive, multi-billion-dollar legacy satellites toward smaller, maneuverable, and distributed architectures, the military is prioritizing resilience against orbital threats. Rocket Lab’s ability to secure the PTS-G bus contract, alongside the NITE-STAR and Space Data Network Consortium awards, demonstrates that the company is successfully transitioning from a dedicated small-launch provider to an end-to-end prime contractor capable of competing for critical national security space infrastructure.

Sources: Rocket Lab Corporation