Firefly Aerospace Inc. (NASDAQ:FLY) stock traded about 1% higher on Thursday after the company secured a new NASA contract worth $144 million.

$144M NASA Contract

Firefly said Tuesday it received a $144 million NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract for a Blue Ghost lunar mission targeted for launch in 2028.

The company said it plans to complete the mission in about two years, roughly half the development time of Blue Ghost Mission 1, by using its standardized lander design and operational experience.

The mission will deliver three NASA science instruments to the Moon’s near side: the Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA), the Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS) and the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS).

“This latest mission award will help prove that commercial lunar delivery can be rapid, repeatable, and reliable,” CEO Jason Kim said.

Firefly also said it is using flight data from its first successful lunar landing to improve future Blue Ghost missions and accelerate production. The company added that it plans additional lunar missions to the Moon’s far side, Gruithuisen Domes and the south pole using its Blue Ghost lander and Elytra orbital vehicle.

Firefly, SSC Space Advance Sweden Orbital Launch Site Ahead Of Planned 2028 Debut

Separately, on Tuesday, Firefly and SSC Space announced they had completed key infrastructure and regulatory milestones for orbital launches from Esrange Space Center in Sweden, with the first launch targeted for 2028.

The companies finalized core infrastructure at Launch Complex 3C, including the launch control center, payload processing facility and integration building.

They also advanced regulatory cooperation through a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Swedish National Space Agency and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, building on the existing Technology Safeguards Agreement.

SSC Space also signed a 209 million Swedish kronor agreement with the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration to support satellite launches for the Swedish Armed Forces. Launch Complex 3C will support Firefly’s Alpha rocket and expand orbital launch access from mainland Europe.

Technical Analysis

Firefly shares remain in a longer-term downtrend despite Thursday’s advance.

The stock is trading 7.5% below its 20-day simple moving average and 21.6% below its 50-day simple moving average. Those levels could act as resistance during any rebound. However, the shares are only 0.2% below the 200-day simple moving average, making the $28-$29 range an important technical level.

Momentum indicators remain cautious. The moving average convergence divergence (MACD) indicator is below its signal line, with a negative histogram. That setup suggests buying momentum has weakened.

Key resistance sits near $34.50, close to the 50-day exponential moving average. Initial support is around $24.00, where buyers previously stepped in.

Price Action

FLY Stock Price Activity: Firefly Aerospace shares were up 1.06% at $28.67 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Photo by T. Schneider via Shutterstock