Firefly Aerospace plans to launch a commercial lunar imaging service, Ocula, designed for governments and companies. This service aims to supplement, or potentially replace, NASA's aging Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
Ocula will utilize instruments on Firefly's Elytra spacecraft, incorporating telescopes from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with ultraviolet and visible sensors. These telescopes, positioned 50 kilometers above the moon, will achieve a resolution of 20 centimeters, exceeding the LRO's 50-centimeter resolution. The imagery will enable the identification of key minerals, including ilmenite, linked to helium-3.
The system also offers capabilities in space domain awareness, tracking, and identifying objects in cislunar space. "Ocula will be one of the first, if not the first, commercial lunar imaging service on the market," stated Jason Kim, Firefly Aerospace's chief executive. "Ocula will provide critical data that informs future human and robotic missions and supports national security with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance."
Ocula's services will commence with the launch of the Blue Ghost 2 lunar lander mission next year, followed by Blue Ghost 3 in 2028. Firefly will offer imagery from these missions at a low cost to both government and commercial clients, although pricing details remain undisclosed.
This service offers a potential solution for NASA as LRO ages. While still operational, calls for a replacement or augmentation of its capabilities have grown. A 2022 study by the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group highlighted the need for diverse approaches, including the utilization of commercial services. "Private industry should use these inputs to identify the recurring themes and potential new opportunities providing not just infrastructure but also data acquisition services to government agencies and the interwoven science community," the report noted.
Companies within NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, including Firefly, expressed interest in providing further services beyond payload delivery, highlighting the growing role of private companies in lunar exploration.