Firefly Aerospace, a space and defense tech company based in Cedar Park, Texas, secured a new contract to help address overcrowding in Earth’s orbit.

Working with the Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit and the Space Development Agency, Firefly is stepping up to tackle the growing problem of space junk.

Cleaning Up Orbit

Firefly’s Elytra Dawn spacecraft; Photo: Firefly Aerospace

Right now, Firefly has to complete a preliminary design review for a mission that provides deorbit services using its Elytra spacecraft. Once they wrap up this design phase, they can compete for the actual mission execution, which includes the launch and operations.

“Firefly is known for performing some of the hardest missions in space, and this mission is no exception,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “In alignment with the White House order to prioritize orbital debris mitigation, our team designed a highly efficient, cost-effective solution for our Elytra vehicles to deorbit satellites nearing the end of life. This dialable system can deorbit satellites of vastly different sizes and configurations to help mitigate the growing space debris challenge our industry is up against.”

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How Elytra Works

During missions, the Elytra spacecraft launches into low Earth orbit. From there, it maneuvers over to a client space object, surveys it, and completes the deorbit service. Firefly’s system can handle satellite deorbit operations in low Earth, medium Earth, or geostationary Earth orbits.

Elytra has high-thrust maneuverability, plenty of fuel, the capacity to deliver payloads, handle long-haul communications, or take lunar images. It uses proven parts from Firefly’s other vehicles, including the propulsion system that successfully landed their Blue Ghost on the Moon.

Additionally, Firefly is building another Elytra spacecraft for a space domain awareness mission set for no earlier than 2027. That spacecraft has its core flight structures complete and is currently in the integration and test phase.

Founded in 2017, Firefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite into orbit with about 24 hours’ notice and the first to achieve a successful Moon landing.