Firefly Aerospace (Nasdaq: FLY) announced it completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for its Elytra spacecraft, which is set to deliver drones built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to the Moon's south pole as part of the MoonFall mission.

The review, conducted with participation from NASA and JPL, covered Elytra's structural, thermal, propulsion, avionics, trajectory design, guidance and navigation, communications, and control systems, as well as qualification and environmental test plans. The review confirmed the design meets mission requirements. Firefly will now move toward a critical design review (CDR) before beginning hardware production and assembly.

According to the company, the PDR was completed less than four months after contract award. "Completing PDR less than four months after contract award is a testament to the speed and rigor Firefly brings to every mission," said Ray Allensworth, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace.

The MoonFall mission is targeted to be ready for launch by late 2028. JPL is building the drones and managing the mission for NASA, which will provide the launch vehicle. After launch, Elytra will travel from Earth orbit to lunar orbit and deploy the drones above the Moon's south pole. The drones are designed to use high-definition optical cameras and instruments to survey terrain and map potential landing sites and resources to support future human missions.

MoonFall is described as part of the first phase of NASA's Moon Base Program, a lunar exploration and infrastructure initiative aimed at enabling sustained human presence at the lunar south pole.