Firefly’s Blue Ghost Spacecraft Begins Journey to Moon, Supported by Rocket Lab Software and Components
Long Beach, Calif. January 23, 2025 – Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, celebrates the successful launch of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 on January 15. Rocket Lab is supporting Blue Ghost’s 45-day journey to the Moon with the Company’s MAX Flight and MAX Ground Data Software suites.
Rocket Lab also provided three high-efficiency photovoltaic assemblies, comprising our interconnected space-grade solar cells, mounted on the lander’s sides and top deck, providing 400 W of power over 1,470 operational hours to support the lander during its journey to the lunar surface.
During the Blue Ghost mission, the Rocket Lab team will also support Firefly’s execution of multiple burns and management of orbit determination and attitude control throughout the cruise and landing phases of the mission.
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.
“Congratulations to the Firefly team on the start of Blue Ghost’s lunar journey. We’re immensely proud to support the team and enable an ambitious lunar mission with our flight-proven components and software,” said Rocket Lab’s Vice President, Business Development & Strategy, Space Systems, Richard French. “The new era of commercial lunar exploration is underway, and we’re excited to be part of making it possible.”
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+ Rocket Lab Media Contact
Lindsay McLaurin
+ 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, 2023, 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.
