Firefly Aerospace to develop framework for DARPA's LunA-10 orbital spacecraft hubs

Firefly Aerospace to develop framework for DARPA's LunA-10 orbital spacecraft hubs
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 06, 2023

Firefly Aerospace, Inc., a key player in space transportation, has announced its selection to develop a framework for integrated on-orbit spacecraft hubs. This initiative supports DARPA's 10-Year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) capability study. The proposed hubs, leveraging the capabilities of Firefly's Elytra orbital vehicles, aim to provide versatile cislunar services, including refueling, delivery, and transportation.

Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, highlighted the company's commitment to innovation. "Firefly stands at the forefront of addressing complex industry challenges. Our vision involves enhancing on-orbit mission responsiveness, reducing timescales from years to days, using scalable spacecraft hubs that service a wide array of missions across cislunar space," Weber stated. "Our team is eager to contribute to DARPA's LunA-10 initiative, a vital step for the future of responsive space operations within the cislunar ecosystem."

DARPA's LunA-10 program focuses on developing actionable frameworks within seven months to guide the next decade's commercial lunar infrastructure. The goal is to establish shareable, scalable systems commercially operational in lunar and cislunar regions by 2035.

Firefly's role includes devising a framework for an aggregated on-orbit spacecraft hub. These hubs will dock spacecraft together, offering on-demand services to both incoming and remote cislunar spacecraft. Essential services provided to visiting spacecraft will encompass propellant transfers, payload exchanges, and shared use of power, computation, and thermal resources. Firefly's Elytra vehicles, stationed at these hubs, will provide dynamic mission services like payload delivery, orbital transfers, repositioning, and de-orbiting.

Jana Spruce, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace, underlined the company's unique capabilities. "Firefly's comprehensive portfolio, encompassing launch, lunar, and on-orbit vehicles, positions us ideally to support DARPA's LunA-10 project," she said. "Our adaptable Elytra vehicles are designed for quick deployment and can form robust on-orbit service platforms for a variety of government and commercial clients."

The proposed framework will detail the robotic interfaces, operational protocols, and distributed control systems necessary for any spacecraft to join the hub, resupply, and then redeploy as needed. The initial hubs are planned to be stationed at Earth-Moon Lagrange points, providing swift, cost-effective mission services for spacecraft bound for lunar or Earth trajectories.