NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a $75 million contract to deliver four drones to the moon's south pole as part of preparations for establishing a permanent human presence on the lunar surface.

The mission will involve transporting the unmanned aerial vehicles to the moon's south polar region, where they will assist in reconnaissance and site preparation activities. The drones are expected to help NASA gather critical data about the lunar environment and terrain.

Firefly Aerospace CEO Jason Kim announced the contract award, describing it as a significant milestone for the company's lunar delivery capabilities. The Texas-based aerospace company specializes in small satellite launches and lunar payload delivery services.

The contract is part of NASA's broader Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which aims to leverage private sector partnerships to support the agency's Artemis mission goals. The south pole region is of particular interest to NASA due to the presence of water ice in permanently shadowed craters.

The drone delivery mission represents another step in NASA's strategy to establish sustainable lunar operations before eventual crewed missions to Mars. The timeline for the mission delivery was not immediately specified in the contract announcement.