Firefly Aerospace and Israel Aerospace Industries Enter Exclusive Agreement for U.S. Commercialization of Lunar Lander Technology

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Jul 09, 2019, 09:05 ET

CEDAR PARK, Texas, July 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Firefly Aerospace, Inc. (Firefly), a provider of economical and dependable launch vehicles, spacecraft and in-space services, announced today that it has signed an Intellectual Property and Engineering Support Agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for technology based on its Beresheet Lunar Lander. Firefly Aerospace is one of the nine companies selected by NASA to participate in the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to deliver science payloads to the surface of the Moon.

Firefly Beta Launch Vehicle with Genesis Lander

"Firefly is excited to partner with IAI in architecting a complete lunar science mission for NASA's CLPS initiative. IAI's culture of engineering innovation and bold vision make our partnership a perfect solution for America as the nation realizes its return to the moon," said Firefly CEO Dr. Tom Markusic. "This agreement with IAI will allow Firefly to build on our momentum and expand our lunar capabilities by creating a U.S.-built version of IAI's historic lunar lander. Having access to flight proven lunar lander technology and the expertise of IAI engineers makes Firefly well placed to gain a foothold in the cislunar market."

"The experience gained in the Beresheet Moon mission co-developed with SpaceIL puts IAI at the forefront of lunar lander technology and enables us to undertake additional lunar missions with proven technology and significant engineering experience and knowhow," said Boaz Levi, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Systems, Missiles & Space Group. "We are proud to partner with Firefly Aerospace and offer NASA our experience in rapid and affordable lunar missions, including all lessons learned from the Beresheet endeavor. We see in Firefly a similar mix of courage and technological knowledge that fits the IAI spirit and will drive us to the Moon quickly and robustly. This is an additional badge of honor to the Israeli space industry, which IAI, Israel Space House, leads."

Shea Ferring, Firefly Vice President of Mission Assurance, added that, "Firefly Aerospace is excited to partner with Israel Aerospace Industries to provide the only NASA CLPS program flight-proven lander design. NASA and the U.S. will greatly benefit from IAI's next generation lander design, leveraging extensive Beresheet lander design and flight operations experience. 'Genesis', a predominately U.S.-built version of the lander, delivers a low-cost integrated solution for reliable lunar surface missions."

ABOUT ISRAEL AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES
IAI Ltd. is Israel's largest aerospace and defense company and a globally recognized technology and innovation leader, specializing in developing and manufacturing advanced, state-of-the-art systems for air, space, sea, land, cyber and homeland security. Since 1953, the company has provided advanced technology solutions to government and commercial customers worldwide including: satellites, missiles, weapon systems and munitions, unmanned and robotic systems, radars, C4ISR and more. IAI also designs and manufactures business jets and aerostructures, performs overhaul and maintenance on commercial aircraft and converts passenger aircraft to refueling and cargo configurations.

IAI Contact
Estie Rosen
972-52-4677010
[email protected]

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE
Firefly is developing a family of launch and in-space vehicles and services that provide industry-leading affordability, convenience and reliability. Firefly's launch vehicles utilize common technologies, manufacturing infrastructure and launch capabilities, providing LEO launch solutions for up to four metric tons of payload at the lowest cost/kg in the small-lift class. Combined with Firefly's in-space vehicles, such as the Orbital Transfer Vehicle and Genesis Lander, Firefly provides the space industry with a one-stop shop for missions to the surface of the Moon or beyond. Headquartered in Cedar Park TX, Firefly has additional presence in Washington, D.C., Dnipro, Ukraine and Tokyo, Japan. Firefly is financed by Noosphere Ventures of Menlo Park, CA.

Firefly Contact
Eric Salwan
512-277-6959
[email protected]

SOURCE Firefly Aerospace, Inc.