Flight 7 validated improved avionics and thermal protection technologies intended for an upgraded Alpha Block II.

On Alpha Flight 6 in April, a plume-induced flow separation caused the vehicle’s first stage to break apart and damaged the second stage engine.

Flight 7 deployed a demonstration payload for Lockheed Martin.

Firefly Aerospace reported $1.3 billion in backlog in its most recent financial filing published in November, with $344.8 million attributed to multi-launch agreements.

Flight 7 relit Alpha’s second stage engine.

Firefly Aerospace plans to launch a fully upgraded Block II Alpha on Flight 8.

Block II Alpha upgrades include optimized propellant tanks built to increase burn time.

The Block II upgrades include a 7-foot increase in rocket height, consisting of a 6-foot increase on the first stage and a 1-foot increase on the second stage.

Block II Alpha upgrades include a new in-house designed battery and avionics system.

Attendees at the Tectonic Defense Summit watched Flight 7 on a 40-foot screen alongside former Firefly staff, including two cofounders.

Flight 7 was Firefly Aerospace’s first fully successful Alpha flight in nearly two years.

Firefly Aerospace completed a public offering during the roughly ten months between Flight 6 and Flight 7.

The documentary In the Black follows Firefly Aerospace’s sequence of successes and failures that led to the company reaching space on its second Alpha flight in 2022.

The Italian aerospace and defense sector has annual revenues exceeding €16 billion.

The Italian aerospace and defense sector exports more than 70% of its production.

ADSS Seattle is organized and hosted by Boeing.

The Italian mission to ADSS Seattle is coordinated by Agenzia ICE’s Houston office in collaboration with AIAD (Federazione delle aziende italiane per l’aerospazio, la difesa e la sicurezza).

Space Symposium will take place in Colorado Springs from 13 to 16 April.

ADSS Seattle (Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit) will take place on 18-19 March.

INNOVIT – Italian Innovation and Culture Hub of San Francisco has accelerated startups that will be presented at ADSS Seattle.

Aircraft and helicopter component imports from Italy were valued at $1.038 billion in 2025, representing more than 60% of Italy’s total U.S. aerospace exports and growing 23.27% over 2024.

Virginia imported $514.1 million of aerospace goods from Italy in 2025, representing 30.07% of the total Italian aerospace exports to the United States and increasing 134.65% from 2024.

ICE – Agenzia per la promozione all’estero e l’internazionalizzazione delle imprese italiane is leading delegations of more than 50 Italian aerospace companies to events in the United States.

Italy’s share of U.S. aerospace imports grew to 4.05% in 2025, up from 3.30% in 2023.

The Italian aerospace and defense sector directly employs over 50,000 highly qualified professionals.

Italy was the eighth-largest partner of the United States in the aerospace sector in 2025.

Italy’s aerospace industrial structure includes five prime contractors operating globally and more than 300 small and medium enterprises, with SMEs representing about 85% of companies in the sector.

Three Innovit-accelerated startups attending ADSS Seattle are bitCorp (Milano), Oris Space (Torino), and Podium (Aosta).

SATShow Week in Washington D.C. will begin on 23 March and focuses on the satellite industry with the Satellite Exhibition as its centerpiece.

Twenty-one Italian companies will attend ADSS Seattle, including A. Abete, ALA, Apeiroon, Com.Stamp, Connex Italiana, DAVI-Promau, DeAMS, EIE Group, and GFM.

More than 50 Italian companies will participate in the combined ADSS Seattle, SATShow Washington D.C., and Space Symposium Colorado Springs program.

The Italian mission to ADSS Seattle will include a reception at the ADSS exhibition on 18 March where Innovit startup participants will be presented.

According to Trade Data Monitor data compiled by Agenzia ICE – Houston, total U.S. aerospace imports reached $42.20 billion in 2025, a 1.53% increase over 2024.

Twenty-one Italian companies attending ADSS Seattle also include REA Space, Umbragroup, Vimi Fasteners, and Zoppas Industries.

The Italian mission to ADSS Seattle will include an evening pre-show networking event on 17 March organized by Serena Corp with the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco.

Twenty-one Italian companies attending ADSS Seattle also include Growermetal, HTT – High Tech Tools, Laga, OMA, OMPM, OVS Villella, Poggipolini, and SITTI.

U.S. aerospace imports from Italy rose 7.94% to $1.71 billion in 2025.

Texas imported $403.7 million of aerospace goods from Italy in 2025, representing 23.62% of the total Italian aerospace exports to the United States and increasing 13.56% from 2024.

Italian aerospace regional clusters include Piemonte, Lombardia, Lazio, Puglia, Campania, Veneto, and Umbria.

Approximately 47% of Italy’s aerospace activity is dedicated to the production of aircraft, helicopters, spacecraft, and related systems, and nearly 20% is dedicated to maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).

Under the RADICAL project, Orbit Fab works with satellite companies such as Airbus to understand required adaptations to mission operations, system engineering, and platform design to enable refueling.

The RADICAL project aims to increase the competitiveness of European telecommunications satellite operators and manufacturers by preparing them for Orbit Fab’s refueling operations.

Commercial and defence satellite operators are aiming to enhance satellite resilience by addressing propellant limitations.

The RADICAL project is funded by the UK Space Agency.

Henny Sands is the Head of Telecommunications at the UK Space Agency.

The RAFTI refueling valve is a technology developed by Orbit Fab for on-orbit refueling operations.

The feasibility assessment with Airbus Defense and Space is part of the RADICAL project within the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) program.

Kata Escott is the Managing Director of Airbus Defense and Space UK.

Refueling enables new types of dynamic space operations that could allow defence users to manoeuvre satellites to evade adversaries.

Refueling is a potential solution to extend satellite mission lifetimes, reduce replacement costs, and increase flexibility to move satellites in response to demand.