Alpha

Firefly Aerospace will implement a Block II configuration upgrade for the Alpha rocket focused on enhancing reliability, streamlining producibility, and improving launch operations to support commercial, civil, and national security mission demand.

Alpha Flight 7 is targeted to launch in the coming weeks and will be the last Alpha flight in the current configuration.

Block II is designed to expand Alpha’s deployable launch capabilities for critical responsive space missions such as hypersonic testing, national security missions including Golden Dome, and commercial satellite launches for domestic and international customers.

Following the forthcoming launch of the Alpha small launch vehicle, Firefly intends to raise an additional $300,000,000 later in 2021 to fund growth through 2025.

Firefly Aerospace sought to raise $350,000,000 to fund the ramp-up of its operations over the next five years and to develop a larger, medium-class launch vehicle.

The June 2022 Alpha launch will fulfill Firefly Aerospace’s NASA Venture Class Launch Services contract that the company won in 2020.

Alpha performed a 15-second static fire test on the pad at Vandenberg the day before Firefly set the 2021-09-02 launch date.

Alpha is scheduled to lift off during a four-hour window that opens at 9 p.m. Eastern on 2021-09-02 from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Firefly Aerospace scheduled the inaugural launch of its Alpha rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base on 2021-09-02 during a four-hour window that opens at 9 p.m. Eastern.

Firefly Aerospace obtained a substantial amount of flight data from the Alpha test flight on 2021-09-02.

Max Polyakov invested $200,000,000 to resurrect Firefly and continue development of the Alpha small launch vehicle.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems selected Firefly Aerospace to launch MAIA on its Alpha rocket in 2022.

Firefly Aerospace signed an agreement with L3Harris Technologies on 2023-09-05 to launch three missions on Firefly’s Alpha rocket.

Firefly Aerospace successfully launched its Alpha rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base on 2023-09-14.

Firefly is preparing a responsive on-orbit Elytra mission for the National Reconnaissance Office that will launch aboard Alpha later 2024.

Firefly Aerospace now hopes to launch its seventh Alpha flight in Q4 2025 or Q1 2026.