Firefly Aerospace plans to deliver Zeno Power’s nuclear-powered payload to the Moon in 2028, marking another milestone under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
The mission, scheduled for no earlier than 2028, will transport Zeno’s “Survive-the-Night Package” aboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander. The payload includes a 5-watt radioisotope heater unit (RHU) using americium-241, designed to provide passive thermal energy through radioactive decay. This system is critical for maintaining hardware functionality during the Moon’s 14-day lunar night, when temperatures can drop below -280°F.
Zeno Power, based in Cedar Park, Texas, developed the platform with integrated structural, communications, power, command, and thermal management subsystems. The RHU’s role aligns with broader efforts to enable sustained operations on the lunar surface, where extreme temperature swings pose significant challenges.
The initiative builds on Firefly’s prior success with its Blue Ghost Mission 1, which achieved the first commercial Moon landing in 2025. Data from that mission recorded surface temperatures ranging from over 230°F during lunar day to below -275°F at night, underscoring the need for thermal resilience.
Tyler Bernstein, CEO and co-founder of Zeno Power, emphasized the payload’s importance, stating that hardware capable of surviving the lunar night will be essential for long-term exploration. The mission will target the Moon’s near side, with potential applications extending to the far side and regions such as the Gruithuisen Domes.
NASA’s CLPS initiative continues to serve as a key framework for delivering commercial payloads to the lunar surface, supporting broader goals of sustained human and robotic exploration.
