Firefly Aerospace Partners with Zeno Power to Test Lunar Night Survival Tech on 2028 Moon Mission — Firefly Aerospace Inc.

Event summary

Firefly Aerospace has partnered with Zeno Power Systems to deliver a Survive-the-Night Package with a Radioisotope Heater Unit (RHU) to the Moon’s near side, launching no earlier than 2028.
The mission aims to demonstrate technologies that enable spacecraft to operate through the extreme cold and prolonged darkness of the 14-day lunar night.
Zeno’s payload includes a 5 Watts thermal americium-241 RHU and dedicated platform with structural, communications, electrical power, command and data handling, and thermal management subsystems.
The mission builds on Firefly’s first successful commercial Moon landing in 2025 and supports NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.

The big picture

This partnership underscores the growing emphasis on developing technologies that can sustain operations on the Moon, particularly during the lunar night. As NASA’s Moon Base initiative and the broader lunar economy expand, the ability to survive extreme thermal environments will be critical. The success of this mission could pave the way for future robotic and human lunar missions requiring extended operations beyond sunset.

What we're watching

Technical Feasibility: Whether Zeno Power’s RHU can successfully demonstrate the ability to survive the lunar night and provide continuous heat without relying on solar power.
Market Demand: The pace at which demand for long-duration lunar infrastructure grows, driving the need for radioisotope power systems.
Regulatory Compliance: How Firefly and Zeno navigate the regulatory landscape for nuclear-powered technologies in space missions.