Elytra
A maneuverable spacecraft that tows payloads to their final orbit, including around the Moon, then stays on to host sensors or relay data.
Why it matters
Rockets drop payloads where they can, not always where payloads need to be. A tug that also works as a long-lived host extends missions and opens services like lunar orbit imaging.
How the technology works
Elytra launches with a payload, uses its own propulsion to move it to the target orbit, then can keep working for years. On Blue Ghost Mission 2 the Elytra Dark version will put the lander stack into lunar orbit and remain there to support Firefly's Ocula imaging service.
NASA's MoonFall mission will use Elytra to carry drones to the lunar south pole.