With this primary transaction, Ardian’s Growth team is partnering with Damien Marc and the key managers of JPB Système to accelerate the group’s international growth and support its innovation strategy.

Acquisition will strengthen York’s position as a fully integrated space solutions provider for national security and commercial missions

DENVER, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — York Space Systems (York), a defense technology company transforming how the United States builds and operates space-based capabilities, today announced that its parent company has agreed to acquire ATLAS Space Operations (ATLAS), a pioneer in Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) for satellite communications. The move brings York a powerful, software-led ground architecture that simplifies operations, removes integration barriers, and enhances space-to-ground resilience—accelerating York’s ability to deliver secure, mission-ready space systems at unmatched speed and value.

ATLAS will play a key role in York’s Golden Dome architecture, a next-generation defense solution that unifies spacecraft, software, and ground operations to deliver full-spectrum capabilities across contested environments. ATLAS will continue to operate independently under its existing brand, serving its diverse portfolio of customers across the space industry.

Founded in 2015, ATLAS delivers secure, cloud-native connectivity through its Freedom^® software platform, which provides a single API access point to a global network of more than 50 antennas in 20+ countries and is the only GSaaS provider based in the United States. By shifting the complexity of satellite communications from hardware to software, ATLAS has built a federated network-of-networks that enables real-time tasking, automated scheduling, and seamless cloud delivery of mission data. The result is a flexible, scalable solution that reduces cost, risk, and time to orbit for a growing roster of government and commercial customers.

“ATLAS has built one of the most sophisticated and secure ground communications platforms in the industry,” said Dirk Wallinger, CEO of York. “This acquisition will enhance York’s ability to deliver mission-ready systems on the timelines our customers demand while continuing to support the broader space ecosystem with best-in-class ground solutions.”

The Freedom^® platform simplifies ground operations through a single API that abstracts away the complexities of legacy ground station networks. Whether operating a single satellite or a proliferated constellation, customers can onboard faster, stream data directly to the cloud, and flexibly access global infrastructure without building it themselves.

“York shares our vision for a future where space systems are faster, smarter, and seamlessly integrated,” said Corey Geer, CEO of ATLAS. “Together, we are building the infrastructure to meet that future head-on, reducing risk, increasing resilience, and enabling critical data delivery on demand.”

This acquisition will strengthen York’s ability to deliver integrated, mission-ready systems by pairing its high-performance spacecraft and software-defined operations with ATLAS’s proven ground communications platform. Thereby enhancing end-to-end mission delivery, and accelerating deployment timelines, improving data flow from space to ground, and enabling more resilient, autonomous operations across both commercial and national security missions.

The acquisition of ATLAS is pending FCC approval and other customary closing conditions.

About York Space Systems

York Space Systems is a defense technology company transforming how the United States builds and operates space-based capabilities. As the leading provider of proliferated warfighter space solutions, York delivers fully integrated, mission-ready systems, combining high-performance spacecraft, software-defined operations, and ground-based autonomy, at unmatched speed and value.

With a foundation in high-rate manufacturing and systems-level integration, York is driving the convergence of hardware, software, and mission autonomy to redefine how the U.S. executes national defense from space. By enabling real-time intelligence and resilient, scalable infrastructure, York empowers a smarter, faster, and more adaptive defense posture. Learn more at http://www.YorkSpaceSystems.com

About ATLAS Space Operations, Inc.

ATLAS Space Operations is the leading provider of Ground Software as a Service™ in the space communications industry. Recognized repeatedly for technological innovation and industry leadership, ATLAS’s Freedom® software platform provides cloud-native connectivity, global antenna access, real-time tasking, and streamlined data handling. Learn more at atlasspace.com

SOURCE York Space Systems

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (June 13, 2025) – Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW) (“Redwire”), a global leader in aerospace and defense technology solutions, today announced it has completed its acquisition of Edge Autonomy Intermediate Holdings, LLC, together with its subsidiaries, (“Edge Autonomy”), a leading provider of field-proven uncrewed airborne system (“UAS”) technology. The strategic transaction was approved by Redwire shareholders on June 13.

Transaction Highlights

• Transforms Redwire into a scaled and profitable space and defense tech company focused on the convergence of integrated autonomous operations for defense and national security. The combined company is uniquely positioned to deliver innovative space and airborne platforms—two of the fastest growing trends in defense technology.
• Purpose built proven technology portfolios bridge the gap between airborne and space-based systems and enable software-defined, AI-enabled, autonomous operations across multiple domains and orbits, from the surface of the Earth to the surface of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
• Significantly expands Redwire’s global manufacturing and innovation presence with a highly skilled workforce of more than 1,300 employees and over 628,000 square feet of manufacturing and production capabilities across the U.S. and Europe after the combination.
• Accelerates Redwire’s growth trajectory and strengthens its financial profile; the transaction is immediately accretive to Redwire’s revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, and Free Cash Flow
• The addition of Edge Autonomy’s UAS technologies creates new integrated capabilities for Redwire’s customers that leverage connectivity across space and airborne operations.

“We are pleased to complete this acquisition that establishes Redwire as a global leader in the aerospace and defense sector,” said Redwire’s Chairman and CEO Peter Cannito. “Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter as a combined company. With Edge Autonomy, we are uniquely positioned to transform the future of multi-domain operations and provide decisive advantages to U.S. and allied warfighters. We look forward to leveraging our combined capabilities to enable the most critical missions as we strive to achieve air and space superiority and create significant value for Redwire’s customers and shareholders.”

As previously disclosed, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2025, Redwire, as a combined company and assuming the transaction with Edge Autonomy had been consummated on January 1, 2025, forecasted full year revenues¹ of $535 million to $605 million and Adjusted EBITDA^1,2 of $70 million to $105 million with positive Free Cash Flow.^1,2

Advisors

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and GH Partners LLC served as financial advisors and Holland & Knight LLP served as legal advisor to Redwire. Texas Capital Securities acted as advisor and lead arranger on the debt financing. Roth Capital Partners served as financial advisor and Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. served as legal advisor to the special committee of the Board of Directors. Citi and William Blair served as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Edge Autonomy.

About Redwire

Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW) is an integrated aerospace and defense company focused on advanced technologies. We are building the future of aerospace infrastructure, autonomous systems and multi-domain operations leveraging digital engineering and AI automation. Redwire’s approximately 1,300 employees located throughout the United States and Europe are committed to delivering innovative space and airborne platforms transforming the future of multi-domain operations. For more information, please visit RDW.com.

Use of Projections

The financial outlook and projections, estimates and targets in this press release are forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions that are inherently subject to significant uncertainty and contingencies, many of which are beyond Redwire’s or Edge Autonomy’s control. Such calculation cannot be predicted with reasonable certainty and without unreasonable effort because of the timing, magnitude and variables associated with the completion of the proposed merger with Edge Autonomy. Additionally, any such calculation, at this time, would imply a degree of precision that could be confusing or misleading to investors. Neither Redwire nor Edge Autonomy’s independent auditors have audited, reviewed, compiled or performed any procedures with respect to the financial projections for purposes of inclusion in this press release, and, accordingly, they did not express an opinion or provide any other form of assurance with respect thereto for the purposes of this press release. While all financial projections, estimates and targets are necessarily speculative, Redwire believes that the preparation of prospective financial information involves increasingly higher levels of uncertainty the further out the projection, estimate or target extends from the date of preparation. The assumptions and estimates underlying the projected, expected or target results for Redwire, Edge Autonomy and the combined company are inherently uncertain and are subject to a wide variety of significant business, economic and competitive risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the financial projections, estimates and targets. The inclusion of financial projections, estimates and targets in this press release should not be regarded as an indication that Redwire, or its representatives, considered or consider the financial projections, estimates or targets to be a reliable prediction of future events. Further, inclusion of the prospective financial information in this press release should not be regarded as a representation by any person that the results contained in the prospective financial information will be achieved.

Forward-Looking Statements

Readers are cautioned that the statements contained in this press release regarding expectations of our performance or other matters that may affect our or the combined company’s business, results of operations, or financial condition are “forward-looking statements” as defined by the “safe harbor” provisions in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are made in reliance on the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included or incorporated in this press release, including statements regarding our or the combined company’s strategy, financial projections, including the prospective financial information provided in this communication, financial position, funding for continued operations, cash reserves, liquidity, projected costs, plans, projects, awards and contracts, and objectives of management, the expected benefits from the business combinationand the expected performance of the combined company, among others, are forward-looking statements. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “believe,” “target,” “continued,” “project,” “plan,” “opportunity,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “demonstrates,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “intend,” “shall,” “possible,” “forecast,” “trends,” “contemplate,” “would,” “approximately,” “likely,” “outlook,” “schedule,” “pipeline,” and variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control.

These factors and circumstances include, but are not limited to (1) risks associated with the continued economic uncertainty, including high inflation, effects of trade tariffs and other trade actions, supply chain challenges, labor shortages, increased labor costs, high interest rates, foreign currency exchange volatility, concerns of economic slowdown or recession and reduced spending or suspension of investment in new or enhanced projects; (2) the failure of financial institutions or transactional counterparties; (3) Redwire’s limited operating history and history of losses to date as well as the limited operating history of Edge Autonomy and the relatively novel nature of the drone industry; (4) the inability to successfully integrate recently completed and future acquisitions, including the business combination with Edge Autonomy, as well as the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction or to realize estimated projected combined company results; (5) the development and continued refinement of many of Redwire’s and the combined company’s proprietary technologies, products and service offerings; (6) competition with new or existing companies; (7) the possibility that Redwire’s expectations and assumptions relating to future results and projections with respect to Redwire or Edge Autonomy may prove incorrect; (8) adverse publicity stemming from any incident or perceived risk involving Redwire, Edge Autonomy, the combined company, or their competitors; (9) unsatisfactory performance of our and the combined company’s products resulting from challenges in the space environment, extreme space weather events, the environments in which drones operate, including in combat or other areas where hostilities may occur, or otherwise; (10) the emerging nature of the market for in-space infrastructure services and the market for drones and related services; (11) inability to realize benefits from new offerings or the application of our or the combined company’s technologies; (12) the inability to convert orders in backlog into revenue; (13) our and the combined company’s dependence on U.S. and foreign government contracts, which are only partially funded and subject to immediate termination, which may be affected by changes in government program requirements, spending priorities or budgetary constraints, including government shutdowns, or which may be influenced by the level of military activities and related spending, such as in or with respect to ongoing or future conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, or as a result of changes in international support for military assistance to Ukraine; (14) the fact that Redwire and the combined company are subject to stringent U.S. economic sanctions and trade control laws and regulations, as well as risks related to doing business in other countries, including those related to tariffs, trade restrictions and government actions; (15) the need for substantial additional funding to finance our and the combined company’s operations, which may not be available when needed, on acceptable terms or at all; (16) the dilution of holders of Redwire Common Stock that resulted from or will result from the issuance of additional shares of Redwire Common Stock as consideration for the acquisition of Edge Autonomy, as well as the issuance of Redwire Common Stock in any offering that may be undertaken in connection with such acquisition; (17) the fact that the issuance and sale of shares of Redwire Preferred Stock has reduced the relative voting power of holders of Redwire Common Stock and diluted the ownership of holders of our capital stock; (18) the ability to achieve the conditions to cause, or timing of, any mandatory conversion of the Redwire Preferred Stock into Redwire Common Stock; (19) the fact that AE Industrial Partners (“AE Industrial”) and  BCC Redwire Aggregator, L.P. and their affiliates have significant influence over us, which could limit your ability to influence the outcome of key transactions, as well as AE Industrial’s increased voting power resulting from its receipt of  equity consideration in Redwire’s acquisition of Edge Autonomy; (20) the fact that provisions in our Certificate of Designation with respect to our Redwire Preferred Stock may delay or prevent our acquisition by a third party, which could also reduce the market price of our capital stock; (21) the fact that our Redwire Preferred Stock has rights, preferences and privileges that are not held by, and are preferential to, the rights of holders of our other outstanding capital stock; (22) the possibility of sales of a substantial amount of Redwire Common Stock by our stockholders following consummation of the transaction, which sales could cause the price of Redwire Common Stock to fall; (23) the impact of the issuance of additional shares of Redwire Preferred Stock as paid-in-kind dividends on the price and market for Redwire Common Stock; (24) the volatility of the trading price of Redwire Common Stock; (25) risks related to short sellers of Redwire Common Stock; (26) Redwire’s or the combined company’s inability to report its financial condition or results of operations accurately or timely as a result of identified material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting, as well as the possible need to expand or improve Edge Autonomy’s financial reporting systems and controls; (27)  the effect of any announcement of the business combination on Redwire’s or Edge Autonomy’s business relationships, operating results and business generally; (28) risks that the business combination disrupts plans and operations of Redwire or Edge Autonomy; (29) the ability of Redwire or the combined company to finance its operations in the future; (30) the impact of any increase in the combined company’s indebtedness incurred to fund working capital or other corporate needs, including the repayment of Edge Autonomy’s outstanding indebtedness and transaction expenses incurred to acquire Edge Autonomy, as well as debt covenants that may limit the combined company’s activities, flexibility or ability to take advantage of business opportunities, and the effect of debt service on the availability of cash to fund investment in the business; (31) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts and other expectations after the completion of the transaction, and identify and realize additional opportunities; (32) a significant portion of Edge Autonomy’s revenues result from sales to customers in Ukraine, which sales have been declining and may continue to decline in the event that the war and hostilities in Ukraine end, decline or change, or as a result of changes in international support for military assistance to Ukraine; and (33) other risks and uncertainties described in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and those indicated from time to time in other documents filed or to be filed with the SEC by Redwire. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. If underlying assumptions to forward-looking statements prove inaccurate, or if known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from those anticipated, estimated, or projected. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Redwire disclaims any intention or obligation, other than imposed by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Persons reading this press release are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Non-GAAP Financial Information

This press release contains financial measures that have not been prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”). These financial measures include forecasted Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow for Redwire assuming completion of the acquisition of Edge Autonomy. Certain financial metrics for the Redwire and Edge Autonomy businesses by Redwire management have not been calculated pursuant to Article 11 of Regulation S-X. Such calculation cannot be predicted with reasonable certainty and without unreasonable effort because of the timing, magnitude and variables associated with the completion of the proposed merger with Edge Autonomy. Additionally, any such calculation, at this time, would imply a degree of precision that could be confusing or misleading to investors. Further, we are unable to provide reconciliations to forward-looking Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow because we are unable to provide a meaningful or accurate calculation or estimation of certain reconciling items without unreasonable effort. This is due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such reconciliation. Thus, we are unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of the aforementioned forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most closely comparable forward-looking U.S. GAAP financial measure because such information is not available

Non-GAAP financial measures are used to supplement the financial information presented on a U.S. GAAP basis and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the relevant U.S. GAAP measures and should be read in conjunction with information presented on a U.S. GAAP basis. Because not all companies use identical calculations, our presentation of Non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. We encourage investors and stockholders to review our financial statements and publicly-filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) adjusted for interest expense, net, income tax expense (benefit), depreciation and amortization, impairment expense, transaction expenses, acquisition integration costs, acquisition earnout costs, purchase accounting fair value adjustment related to deferred revenue, severance costs, capital market and advisory fees, litigation-related expenses, write-off of long-lived assets, equity-based compensation, committed equity facility transaction costs, debt financing costs, gains on sale of joint ventures, and warrant liability change in fair value adjustments. Free Cash Flow is computed as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less capital expenditures.

We use Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate our operating performance, generate future operating plans, and make strategic decisions, including those relating to operating expenses and the allocation of internal resources. We use Free Cash Flow as a useful indicator of liquidity to evaluate our period-over-period operating cash generation that will be used to service our debt, and can be used to invest in future growth through new business development activities and/or acquisitions, among other uses. Free Cash Flow does not represent the total increase or decrease in our cash balance, and it should not be inferred that the entire amount of Free Cash Flow is available for discretionary expenditures, since we have mandatory debt service requirements and other non-discretionary expenditures that are not deducted from this measure.

^[1] These amounts are the sum of the standalone full year forecasts for the Redwire and Edge Autonomy businesses by Redwire management. Please refer to “Use of Projections” included in this press release for additional information.

^[2] Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow are not measures of results under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. Please refer to “Non-GAAP Financial Information” included in this press release for details regarding these Non-GAAP measures.

Media Contact:

Tere Riley
tere.riley@redwirespace.com

Investors:

investorrelations@redwirespace.com
904-425-1431

Oversubscribed fund highlights strong investor interest in durable, risk-adjusted asset class

BOCA RATON, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AE Industrial Partners, LP (“AE Industrial”), a private investment firm specializing in National Security, Aerospace, and Industrial Services, today announced the close of its second aerospace leasing fund, AE Industrial Partners Aerospace Leasing Fund II, LP (“Aerospace Leasing Fund II”), which was oversubscribed with total capital commitments of $418 million, reflecting strong support from both existing and new investors. Commitments came from a diverse mix of institutional investors, including public and private pensions, family offices, and endowments.

Established in 2020, AE Industrial’s aerospace leasing platform leverages its core competencies in sourcing, structuring, and managing late life current technology commercial aircraft and engines, business jets, and special mission aircraft modified for government contracts. To date, Aerospace Leasing Fund II has committed over 35% of its capital to acquire a fleet of 20 assets. With the close of Aerospace Leasing Fund II, AE Industrial broadens its leasing strategy, seeking attractive risk-adjusted returns designed to produce current income and capital appreciation for investors.

“We are grateful for the strong interest we have seen in our latest fund from both existing and new investors,” said David Rowe, Co-CEO & Managing Partner at AE Industrial. “This enthusiastic response underscores our team’s deep experience, track record, and global network. It also demonstrates that investors are looking for longer-term opportunities with strong underlying assets that can insulate them from market volatility while providing more predictable returns.”

“A convergence of industry tailwinds, including production bottlenecks, and airlines becoming more focused on utility and reliability, have continued to drive strong demand for commercial leased aerospace assets. This, coupled with the robust global growth for specialized or modified aircraft, creates unique well-structured investment opportunities,” said Nathan Dickstein, Partner and Head of Aerospace Leasing at AE Industrial. “With our dedicated capital and broader leasing platform, we will continue to provide innovative solutions to our global base of customers.”

About AE Industrial Partners Aerospace Leasing:
AE Industrial Partners Aerospace Leasing, the leasing platform of AE Industrial Partners, invests in asset-backed opportunities across the commercial, business, and special mission aerospace sectors. The dedicated investment team focuses on offering bespoke leasing solutions to its global customer base of airlines, corporates, and government entities. Leveraging the team’s deep technical knowledge and aircraft management expertise, AE Industrial Partners Aerospace Leasing seeks to build diversified, income-producing portfolios by opportunistically investing in assets under operating and finance leases. For more information, please visit www.aeroequity.com/aerospace-leasing/.

About AE Industrial Partners:
AE Industrial Partners is a private investment firm with $6.4 billion of assets under management focused on highly specialized markets including national security, aerospace, and industrial services. AE Industrial Partners has completed more than 130 investments in market-leading companies that benefit from its deep industry knowledge, operating experience, and network of relationships across the sectors where the firm invests. With a commitment to driving value creation in partnership with the management teams of its portfolio companies, AE Industrial Partners invests across private equity, venture capital, and aerospace leasing.

Media Contact:
Stanton Public Relations & Marketing
Matt Conroy
mconroy@stantonprm.com
(646) 502-3563

Transaction solidifies the formation of a new industry leader providing highly engineered products to the aerospace and defense markets

BOSTON, MA & FAIRFIELD, NJ, March 5, 2025 – Charlesbank Capital Partners (“Charlesbank”), a middle-market private investment firm, today announced that it has, through new aerospace manufacturing holding company Velocity One, successfully closed on its acquisition of EMCORE Corporation (formerly Nasdaq: EMKR) (“EMCORE”), a provider of specialized inertial navigation solutions to the aerospace and defense (“A&D”) industry. The transaction was first announced on November 8, 2024, following unanimous approval by the EMCORE board of directors.

Headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, Velocity One (or the “Company”) brings together EMCORE with Cartridge Actuated Devices, Inc. (“CAD”) and Aerosphere Power, positioning itself as an industry leader with operating units capable of designing, manufacturing, and supporting a wide range of critical products including navigational solutions, energetic devices, and power system solutions for the aerospace and defense end-markets. Together, these leading businesses comprise approximately 250 employees across five facilities. Building on these capabilities, the Company will focus on partnering with leading component manufacturers as part of a strategy to build a market-leading aerospace and defense platform.

John Borduin, an industry veteran with 20 years’ experience in senior leadership positions at prominent aerospace and defense companies including CAD, Avionic Instruments, Safran, and GE Aviation, will lead Velocity One as Chief Executive Officer. Brandon White, Managing Director and Co-Head – Flagship, at Charlesbank, has joined the Board of Directors of the combined company, along with Senior Vice President Samuel Bekenstein and Vice President Karan Talreja.

“The creation of Velocity One follows a multi-year thematic pursuit in the aerospace sector for Charlesbank. We are thrilled to complete this transformative acquisition, which we believe will solidify the formation of a new industry leader providing proprietary, highly engineered products to the aerospace and defense sectors,” said Mr. White. “The three companies under the wing of Velocity One share a reputation for delivering high-quality products and a clear vision to create value organically and through M&A. We are excited to partner with this driven, highly skilled management team to propel future growth.”

“The addition of EMCORE to our portfolio represents an exciting opportunity for us to accelerate our growth together as Velocity One,” said CEO Mr. Borduin. “With the support of Charlesbank, we look forward to continuing to scale our business, capitalize on an attractive M&A pipeline and unlock new opportunities in the aerospace and defense sectors.”

As part of the transaction, Launch Point Partners LLC (“Launch Point”), a private investment firm specializing in the A&D industry, will become a strategic co-investor in Velocity One alongside Charlesbank.

Cedar Park, Texas, March 2, 2025 – Firefly Aerospace, the leader in end-to-end responsive space services, today announced its Blue Ghost lunar lander softly touched down on the Moon’s surface in an upright, stable configuration on the company’s first attempt. As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1, named Ghost Riders in the Sky, sets the tone for the future of exploration across cislunar space as the first commercial company in history to achieve a fully successful soft-landing on the Moon.

“Firefly is literally and figuratively over the Moon,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “Our Blue Ghost lunar lander now has a permanent home on the lunar surface with 10 NASA payloads and a plaque with every Firefly employee’s name. This bold, unstoppable team has proven we’re well equipped to deliver reliable, affordable access to the Moon, and we won’t stop there. With annual lunar missions, Firefly is paving the way for a lasting lunar presence that will help unlock access to the rest of the solar system for our nation, our partners, and the world.”

Carrying 10 NASA instruments, Blue Ghost completed a precision landing in Mare Crisium at 2:34 a.m. CST on March 2 and touched down within its 100-meter landing target next to a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille. Blue Ghost’s shock absorbing legs stabilized the lander as it touched down and inertial readings confirmed the lander is upright in a stable configuration. Following touchdown, Firefly is successfully commanding and communicating with the lander from its Mission Operations Center in Cedar Park, Texas.

Blue Ghost will now begin its surface operations and support several NASA science and technology demonstrations over the next 14 days – equivalent to a full lunar day. The surface operations include lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, X-ray imaging, and dust mitigation experiments. On March 14, Firefly expects to capture high-definition imagery of a total eclipse when the Earth blocks the sun above the Moon’s horizon. On March 16, Blue Ghost will then capture the lunar sunset, providing data on how lunar dust levitates due to solar influences and creates a lunar horizon glow first documented by Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17. Following the sunset, Blue Ghost will operate several hours into the lunar night and continue to capture imagery that observes how levitating dust behavior changes after the sunset.

“With the hardest part behind us, Firefly looks forward to completing more than 14 days of surface operations, again raising the bar for commercial cislunar capabilities,” said Shea Ferring, Chief Technology Officer at Firefly Aerospace. “Just through transit to the Moon, Firefly’s mission has already delivered the most science data to date for the NASA CLPS initiative. CLPS has played a key role in Firefly’s evolution from a rocket company to a provider of launch, lunar, and on-orbit services from LEO to cislunar and beyond. We want to thank NASA for entrusting in the Firefly team, and we look forward to delivering even more science data that supports future human missions to the Moon and Mars.”

Throughout its 45-day journey to the Moon, Blue Ghost traveled more than 2.8 million miles, downlinked more than 27 GB of data, and supported several payload science operations. This included signal tracking from the Global Navigation Satellite System at a record-breaking distance with the LuGRE payload, radiation tolerant computing through the Van Allen Belts with the RadPC payload, and measurements of magnetic field changes with the LMS payload.

Firefly will continue to provide regular updates on the Blue Ghost Mission 1 webpage through the completion of the mission. NASA’s Artemis blog will share additional details on payload operations.

About Firefly Aerospace
Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end responsive space company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners (“AEI”) focused on delivering rapid, reliable, and affordable space access for government and commercial customers. Firefly’s small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide the space industry with a single source for missions from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond. For more information, visit www.fireflyspace.com.

Media Contact
press@fireflyspace.com