In C.E. 71, the Orb Union's Morgenroete corporation built five Gundam Astray prototype mobile suits at Heliopolis, the MBF-P01 Gundam Astray Gold Frame, MBF-P02 Gundam Astray Red Frame, MBF-P03 Gundam Astray Blue Frame, MBF-P04 Gundam Astray Green Frame and MBF-P05 Gundam Astray Unit 5, which were based on the technology of the G Project that they assisted the Earth Alliance's Atlantic Federation with. They successfully copied the EA's beam weaponry technology, but Morgenroete did not have access to the Phase Shift armor design, and compensated for this by making the Gundam Astrays lighter and more agile than their EA counterparts.
On January 25, C.E. 71, ZAFT's attack on Heliopolis to steal the Alliance Gundams also unknowingly interrupted the Astray Project. In order hide their progress, Orb's officials decided to destroy the Astray lab. However all Astray prototypes survived and fell into the hands of different factions. MBF-P05, which was not yet assembled, fell into the hands of the mysterious organization Librarian Works, who modified it into the BF-P05LM Gundam Astray Mirage Frame.