A High-Res Eye on the Moon: LLNL Delivers Advanced Optics for Firefly’s Lunar Imaging Service
A team of scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has delivered a sophisticated optics system to Firefly Aerospace, destined for the company’s commercial lunar imaging service, Ocula.
The payload will fly onboard Firefly’s Elytra spacecraft during Blue Ghost Mission 2, which is targeted to launch no earlier than late 2026. The collaboration was facilitated by LLNL’s Innovation and Partnerships Office (IPO).
Instrument Details: A Dual-Telescope System
The new optics system builds on LLNL’s expertise in monolithic telescope technology, designed to capture ultraviolet and visible images of the lunar surface.
The instrument combines an ultraviolet telescope and camera with a larger aperture optical telescope, replacing the short-wave infrared sensor used on a prior mission.
The dual-telescope setup enables detailed lunar surface characterization and mineral detection, including the ability to map ilmenite deposits—a key indicator of helium-3 presence.
Mission Context: Blue Ghost Mission 2
Blue Ghost Mission 2 is Firefly’s second lunar mission, utilizing a dual-spacecraft configuration: the Blue Ghost lander and the Elytra orbiter.
- Elytra will serve as both a transfer vehicle and a communications relay for the lander.
- After the lander’s mission, Elytra will remain in lunar orbit for several years to support Ocula’s imaging service.
LLNL is also providing the embedded NVIDIA Jetson computing module and flight software to enable on-orbit data processing. The team’s prior work includes the 2024 PTD-R Mission, which successfully imaged the moon from low-Earth orbit.
Key Statements
Tina Dinh, LLNL project lead for Ocula: "By partnering with Firefly to get to lunar orbit, we're able to take extremely high-resolution images of the lunar surface at a fraction of the cost and development time of previous missions."
Dinh also emphasized that traveling to the Moon presents a unique opportunity compared to missions in low-Earth orbit.
Next Steps
Firefly will now conduct payload integration, alignment verification, and environmental testing to ensure the system is ready for deep space conditions.
Broader Significance
The Ocula imaging service is designed to support multiple objectives:
- Lunar reconnaissance
- Space flight safety
- Awareness of activity in the lunar region for national security
The collaboration is enabled by a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) through LLNL’s Innovation and Partnerships Office, which facilitates industry partnerships for mission-driven solutions.