Investors were buzzing very positively about space stock Firefly Aerospace (FLY +10.33%) on Wednesday. They also traded it up by almost 10% in value that day, following news of a new collaboration on an upcoming Moon mission.
Blue Moon
Firefly announced that morning it had reached a commercial payload agreement with peer company, privately held Volta Space Technologies. Under the terms of the deal, Firefly will host a wireless power receiver from Volta on its Blue Ghost Mission 2 lander, which is designed to land on the far side of the Moon.
Image source: Getty Images.
For Volta, this is a trial run of the technology that helps provide electricity for its LightGrid, a power network on our planet's satellite.
With the Volta receiver, Blue Ghost 2 is set to carry six payloads, a lineup that includes a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) radio telescope and a satellite from the European Space Agency (ESA).
NASDAQ: FLY
Key Data Points
Long-term goals
In its Blue Ghost 2 update, Firefly quoted CEO Jason Kim as saying that "Our international mission will enable critical technology demonstrations that lay the groundwork for lasting operations on the Moon."
The company didn't provide any financial particulars of its arrangement with Volta, but that's almost beside the point. Given that the spacecraft is now committed to six payloads on its next mission, it's clear businesses are eager to work with Firefly. They also clearly believe in its purpose and technology, which is heartening for shareholders.
