Firefly Alpha
ActiveFirefly Aerospace (FA)
Sept. 3, 2021
Description
Firefly Alpha (Firefly α) is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle developed by the American aerospace company Firefly Aerospace to cover the commercial small satellite launch market. Alpha is intended to provide launch options for both full vehicle and ride share customers.
Specifications
-
Stages
2 -
Length
29.0 m -
Diameter
1.82 m -
Fairing Diameter
2.21 m -
Launch Mass
54.0 T -
Thrust
736.0 kN
Family
-
Name
Firefly Alpha -
Family
― -
Variant
― -
Alias
― -
Full Name
Firefly Alpha
Payload Capacity
-
Launch Cost
$15000000 -
Low Earth Orbit
1000.0 kg -
Geostationary Transfer
Orbit
― -
Direct Geostationary
― -
Sun-Synchronous Capacity
630.0 kg
Firefly Aerospace
Commercial
CEO: Peter Schumacher
FA 2014Firefly Aerospace is an American private aerospace firm based in Austin, Texas, that develops small and medium-sized launch vehicles for commercial launches to orbit.
Upcoming Spaceflights
Firefly Alpha | TacSat
Firefly Aerospace | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
TBD December, 2025
Status: To Be Determined
Mission:
First of up to 25 launches of Low Earth Orbit technology demonstration satellites to be built and operated by Lockheed Martin. TacSat is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance spacecraft with a mission to prove specialized sensing and communications capabilities on orbit. The satellite will participate in exercises that highlight cross-domain kill-web connectivity, enabling timely execution of tactical space missions. TacSat will host a proven Lockheed Martin infrared sensor on board that brings previously developed technology to space for the first time. This sensor produces high quality imagery and it can interface with federated Battle Management Command & Control (BMC2) combat systems to provide joint forces with a comprehensive view of threats. The satellite will also feature Lockheed Martin’s first 5G.MIL® payload on orbit. This provides cellular-like networking for military space assets, making satellite constellations more resilient. It also helps enable seamless connectivity with tools in the air, at sea and on land. Launch operation will also again demonstrate responsive space pre-launch operation capabilities.
Low Earth OrbitFirefly Alpha | Jackal AOV
Firefly Aerospace | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
TBD December, 2025
Status: To Be Determined
Mission:
True Anomaly’s Jackal Autonomous Orbital Vehicle (AOV) will support U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command’s VICTUS HAZE Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) mission with operations in orbit proximity with another spacecraft built by Rocket Lab National Security. The spacecraft, once completed, will remain on call until the U.S. Space Force provides the notice to launch. The Firefly team will then have 24 hours to transport the payload fairing to the pad, mate the fairing to the Alpha rocket, fuel the rocket, and launch within the first available window.
Low Earth OrbitFirefly Alpha | QuickSounder
Firefly Aerospace | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
TBD February, 2026
Status: To Be Determined
Mission:
QuickSounder is the first satellite mission of the Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON) program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which aims to replace the current Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) series of polar orbit weather satellites. This pathfinder mission will demonstrate NOAA's ability to launch a small satellite within 3 years, flying a refurbished Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instrument to polar orbit.
Sun-Synchronous OrbitFirefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)
Firefly Aerospace | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
April 29, 2025, 1:37 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:
Sixth flight of the Firefly Alpha small satellite launcher, launching the demonstration mission for Lockheed Martin's new LM400 satellite bus, which will carry a communications payload. The satellite bus is customizable to support different missions, including remote sensing, communications, imagery and radar Earth observations. It can also support different kinds of orbits and launch configurations.
Low Earth OrbitFalcon 9
O3b mPower 9-10
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA2 high-throughput communications satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) built by Boeing and operated by SES.
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 17-3
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USAA batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Falcon 9
Project Kuiper (KF-01)
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USAFirst of a three launches contract for Amazon's Kuiper low Earth orbit satellite internet constellation, with 24 satellites on board.
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 15-2
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USAA batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Long March 7
Tianzhou-9
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of ChinaEighth cargo delivery mission to the Chinese space station.
