Firefly Aerospace is a Texas-based private aerospace company that provides end-to-end space transportation services. It specializes in the development of small to medium-lift launch vehicles like the Alpha rocket and lunar landers such as Blue Ghost, along with on-orbit services using its Elytra space tug. Firefly works with partners like NASA and ESA, securing contracts for commercial lunar payload services and missions to the far side of the Moon. The company aims to provide affordable and reliable space access for government and commercial customers, contributing to lunar and cislunar exploration.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
Attractive pricing from Arianespace convinced Spaceflight Inc. to contract with Arianespace for the first time.
Through Venture Class Launch Services, NASA awarded contracts in 2015 to send cubesats into orbit with Rocket Lab, Virgin Galactic, and Firefly Space Systems.
Max Polyakov, the founder of Noosphere Ventures, committed to funding Firefly through the first Alpha launch.
Firefly signed a firm launch contract with Surrey Satellite Technology covering up to six Alpha launches from 2020 to 2022 beginning with SSTL’s Carbonite-4 technology demonstration satellite.
Firefly Aerospace opened an office in Ukraine with about 30 people for engineering and design work.
Firefly selected Space Launch Complex 2 West (SLC-2W) at Vandenberg via an agreement with the U.S. Air Force to use the pad after the Delta 2’s final launch in mid-September.
Noosphere Ventures acquired Firefly Aerospace’s assets in an auction and provided the capital the company currently needs.
Firefly Aerospace will take over a Vandenberg launch complex currently used by the Delta II after that vehicle’s final flight in September 2018.
Firefly Aerospace expects to start launching its Alpha rocket from Vandenberg in the third quarter of 2019.
Spaceflight signed a memorandum of understanding with Virgin Orbit on 2018-06-25 for one flight of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne air-launch system in 2019.
Spaceflight Industries raised $150,000,000 in March to fund the first 20 satellites in a planned constellation of 60 satellites.
Spaceflight bought a dedicated Electron launch in 2017 and has not scheduled that mission.
Spaceflight Inc. signed on 2018-06-11 as the anchor customer for three Electron launches from Rocket Lab.
Firefly Aerospace planned initial production of the Firefly Alpha from the company’s existing facilities in Texas.
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. signed a launch services agreement with Firefly Aerospace covering up to six launches of SSTL payloads on the Firefly Alpha between 2020 and 2022.
Firefly Aerospace planned to enable eight Alpha flights in 2020 and 18 Alpha flights in 2021 through mass production processes.
The U.S. Air Force approved Firefly Aerospace to take over Space Launch Complex 2 West at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Firefly Aerospace planned to develop a new large-scale mass production facility to increase launch tempo and targeted Florida among potential locations.
Approximately 150 people were expected to be working at Firefly Aerospace’s Dnipro research and development center.
Firefly Aerospace was created when entrepreneur Max Polyakov acquired the assets of Firefly Space Systems.