Firefly Aerospace Selected for the 2025 Robert J. Collier Trophy

Blue Ghost Mission 1 Team Earns Top Aerospace Award for Executing First Successful Commercial Lunar Landing and Redefining Cislunar Access

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 18, 2026 - The National Aeronautic Association announced today that Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 Team is the recipient of the 2025 Robert J. Collier Trophy. This award honors the team's achievement in completing the first fully successful commercial lunar landing and operating several NASA payloads, marking a significant advancement in the economics and accessibility of space between Earth and the Moon.

"In a year defined by transformative leaps in autonomy, Blue Ghost Mission 1 stood out," said Jim Albaugh, NAA Board Chair. "By successfully delivering and operating critical science on the lunar surface, they have proven that the commercial sector is ready to lead the way in our return to the Moon. This achievement is a bedrock for the future of human and robotic presence in deep space."

As part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, Firefly Aerospace successfully landed Blue Ghost Mission 1 in the Moon's Mare Crisium, a large basin several hundred miles from the "Sea of Tranquility" in which the Apollo 11 lander touched down. The mission provided essential data on the Moon's surface materials, heat flow, and magnetic field, demonstrating that commercial partners can achieve high-value scientific results with safety and technical discipline previously associated with government programs.

"Earning the Robert J. Collier Trophy is a true honor and a pivotal milestone for Firefly," said Jason Kim, Firefly Aerospace CEO. "Our Blue Ghost Mission 1 team not only completed a successful Moon landing and operations, they inspired the next generation of space innovators and ignited a renewed interest in the Moon across the globe. Standing on the shoulders of giants, the Firefly team further proved that commercial space can achieve what was once only accomplished by nation-states. We are incredibly proud to join the NAA's elite lineage of innovators who have moved the needle for American aerospace."

Past recipients of the Collier Trophy include Orville Wright (1913), the Apollo 11 Crew (1969), the Cessna Citation (1985), the Gulfstream G650 (2014), and the James Webb Space Telescope Team (2022).

"At the NAA, our role is to foster and validate the breakthroughs that move the entire aerospace ecosystem forward," said Amy Spowart, NAA President and CEO. "Firefly Aerospace didn't just land on the Moon; they demonstrated a repeatable model for lunar logistics. This mission establishes the safety and performance benchmarks required for the next century of space exploration, which is a massive milestone accomplishment."

Read the full press release from the National Aeronautic Association here: https://naa.aero/firefly-aerospace-selected-for-the-2025-robert-j-collier-trophy/