Firefly, Zeno to Test Lunar Night Survival Tech on 2028 Blue Ghost Mission

Firefly Aerospace will fly a payload from Zeno Power on an upcoming lunar lander mission to test a radioisotope heat source that could enable future missions to survive the lunar night. The companies announced Aug. 19 that a Firefly Blue Ghost lander mission planned to launch in 2028 will include a "Survive-the-Night" package from Zeno designed to operate during the lunar night.

The test aims to validate technology that could keep spacecraft and instruments warm through the two-week-long lunar night, a period of extreme cold that has ended many missions. Zeno Power's radioisotope heating unit is intended to provide a reliable heat future lunar payloads. The announcement was made in Washington, D.C., with details of the mission and payload integration to be finalized closer to the launch date. Jeff Foust, who covers space policy and commercial space for SpaceNews, reported the news.