Firefly Aerospace Archives - SpaceNews https://spacenews.com Covering the business and politics of space Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:08:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/cropped-SN_forza_star-32x32.png Firefly Aerospace Archives - SpaceNews https://spacenews.com 32 32 80681979 Inside the Making of ULA’s Next Rocket https://spacenews.com/inside-the-making-of-ulas-next-rocket/ https://spacenews.com/inside-the-making-of-ulas-next-rocket/#respond Thu, 06 Mar 2025 13:58:04 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=514006 Tory Bruno

In this week's episode of Space Minds, Tony Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance, sits down with host Mike Gruss.

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NASA to launch Earth science smallsat mission on Firefly Alpha https://spacenews.com/nasa-to-launch-earth-science-smallsat-mission-on-firefly-alpha/ https://spacenews.com/nasa-to-launch-earth-science-smallsat-mission-on-firefly-alpha/#respond Wed, 05 Mar 2025 04:20:03 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=513908

NASA selected Firefly Aerospace to launch a trio of Earth science smallsats that will study the formation of storms.

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Firefly’s Blue Ghost 1 lands on the moon https://spacenews.com/fireflys-blue-ghost-1-lands-on-the-moon/ https://spacenews.com/fireflys-blue-ghost-1-lands-on-the-moon/#respond Sun, 02 Mar 2025 08:57:03 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=513730 Blue Ghost 1 shadow

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 1 lunar landed touched down on the surface of the moon March 2.

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Blue Ghost 1 enters lunar orbit as Resilience flies by the moon https://spacenews.com/blue-ghost-1-enters-lunar-orbit-as-resilience-flies-by-the-moon/ https://spacenews.com/blue-ghost-1-enters-lunar-orbit-as-resilience-flies-by-the-moon/#respond Sat, 15 Feb 2025 14:18:39 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=513125 Blue Ghost 1 in lunar orbit

One commercial lunar lander has entered orbit around the moon while another, launched at the same time, made a lunar flyby to set up a later return.

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U.S. Space Force awards Firefly $21.8 million contract for rapid-response launch mission https://spacenews.com/u-s-space-force-awards-firefly-21-8-million-contract-for-rapid-response-launch-mission/ https://spacenews.com/u-s-space-force-awards-firefly-21-8-million-contract-for-rapid-response-launch-mission/#respond Sat, 15 Feb 2025 11:16:43 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=513122

The contract, announced by the Space Systems Command Feb. 13, is for a mission dubbed Victus Sol

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Texas awards grants to five space companies https://spacenews.com/texas-awards-grants-to-five-space-companies/ https://spacenews.com/texas-awards-grants-to-five-space-companies/#respond Tue, 11 Feb 2025 03:58:45 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=512857 Starbase

A Texas state agency awarded $47.7 million in grants to five space companies to support projects like facilities and spacecraft development in the state.

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Firefly pressing ahead with Alpha launches from Wallops and Sweden https://spacenews.com/firefly-pressing-ahead-with-alpha-launches-from-wallops-and-sweden/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-pressing-ahead-with-alpha-launches-from-wallops-and-sweden/#respond Tue, 28 Jan 2025 09:32:31 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=512042

Firefly Aerospace expects to start launching its Alpha rocket from launch sites in Virginia and Sweden as soon as 2026 to avoid congestion at other sites.

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Falcon 9 launches American and Japanese commercial lunar landers https://spacenews.com/falcon-9-launches-american-and-japanese-commercial-lunar-landers/ https://spacenews.com/falcon-9-launches-american-and-japanese-commercial-lunar-landers/#respond Wed, 15 Jan 2025 09:00:36 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=511486 F9 launch Firefly ispace

A Falcon 9 successfully launched Jan. 15 two landers built by American and Japanese companies taking different paths to the surface of the moon.

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Firefly wins NASA contract for third lunar lander mission https://spacenews.com/firefly-wins-nasa-contract-for-third-lunar-lander-mission/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-wins-nasa-contract-for-third-lunar-lander-mission/#respond Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:29:37 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=510345 Blue Ghost 3

NASA selected Firefly Aerospace for a third lunar lander mission, this one including a rover, to launch in 2028.

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Firefly, ispace lunar landers to share Falcon 9 launch https://spacenews.com/firefly-ispace-lunar-landers-to-share-falcon-9-launch/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-ispace-lunar-landers-to-share-falcon-9-launch/#respond Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:11:51 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=510324 Blue Ghost 1

Japanese lunar lander developer ispace has confirmed that its second mission will launch on the same Falcon 9 as Firefly’s first lunar lander.

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Companies seek more support for Space Force’s commercial reserve initiative https://spacenews.com/companies-seek-more-support-for-space-forces-commercial-reserve-initiative/ https://spacenews.com/companies-seek-more-support-for-space-forces-commercial-reserve-initiative/#respond Thu, 12 Dec 2024 12:24:15 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=510068

Private companies called for more support Dec. 11 to better prepare for the U.S. Space Force’s upcoming commercial reserve program, which aims to tap into their space assets during crises or emergencies.

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Firefly sets January launch date for first lunar lander mission https://spacenews.com/firefly-sets-january-launch-date-for-first-lunar-lander-mission/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-sets-january-launch-date-for-first-lunar-lander-mission/#respond Mon, 25 Nov 2024 22:04:49 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=509375 Blue Ghost 1

Firefly Aerospace says it is planning a launch of its first lunar lander mission in January, meaning that none of the three commercial lander missions once slated to launch in the fourth quarter of this year will do so.

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Lockheed Martin’s new mid-size satellite platform closer to launch https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martins-new-mid-size-satellite-platform-closer-to-launch/ https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martins-new-mid-size-satellite-platform-closer-to-launch/#respond Wed, 20 Nov 2024 20:56:24 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=509186

The LM 400 is now scheduled to launch in mid 2025 on a Firefly Alpha rocket for a demonstration mission

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Foust Forward | Is there a business case for the moon? https://spacenews.com/foust-forward-is-there-a-business-case-for-the-moon/ https://spacenews.com/foust-forward-is-there-a-business-case-for-the-moon/#respond Fri, 15 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=508912 Intuitive Machines is preparing IM-2, a Nova-C lunar lander dubbed Athena, for an early January mission to the moon’s south pole. Onboard the lander is NASA’s Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) experiment designed to search for water ice on the moon. Credit: Intuitive Machines

Enough commercial activity is heading to the moon in the next few months to create a traffic jam. Firefly Aerospace, ispace and Intuitive Machines are all launching commercial lunar lander […]

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Firefly Aerospace raises $175 million https://spacenews.com/firefly-aerospace-raises-175-million/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-aerospace-raises-175-million/#respond Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:51:34 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=508668

Firefly Aerospace has raised $175 million in a round led by a new investor to support production of launch vehicles and spacecraft with an increased focus on responsive space capabilities.

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Launch companies need to diversify to survive, say industry executives https://spacenews.com/launch-companies-need-to-diversify-to-survive-say-industry-executives/ https://spacenews.com/launch-companies-need-to-diversify-to-survive-say-industry-executives/#respond Wed, 23 Oct 2024 11:21:47 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=507557 A revised design of the Neutron rocket features larger landing legs optimized for barge landings. Credit: Rocket Lab

Industry executives believe that pure-play launch companies need to diversify into other areas to survive in a demanding market that remains dominated by SpaceX.

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Firefly Aerospace wins contract to launch NOAA QuickSounder https://spacenews.com/firefly-aerospace-wins-contract-to-launch-noaa-quicksounder/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-aerospace-wins-contract-to-launch-noaa-quicksounder/#respond Tue, 24 Sep 2024 00:19:37 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=506319

SAN FRANCISCO — Firefly Aerospace won a contract to launch Quicksounder, a prototype for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s next-generation of environmental satellites in low-Earth orbit. The value of […]

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Firefly names space industry veteran Jason Kim as new CEO https://spacenews.com/firefly-aerospace-names-space-industry-veteran-jason-kim-as-new-ceo/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-aerospace-names-space-industry-veteran-jason-kim-as-new-ceo/#respond Thu, 29 Aug 2024 17:47:56 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=504992

Kim was most recently the chief executive of Boeing’s small satellite manufacturing subsidiary Millennium Space

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Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander begins pre-launch environmental tests https://spacenews.com/firefly-aerospaces-lunar-lander-begins-pre-launch-environmental-tests/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-aerospaces-lunar-lander-begins-pre-launch-environmental-tests/#respond Mon, 26 Aug 2024 13:00:04 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=504849 Blue Ghost lunar lander

Firefly Aerospace has completed its first lunar lander and shipped the spacecraft to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for testing ahead of a launch late this year.

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Firefly signs multi-launch agreement with L3Harris https://spacenews.com/firefly-signs-multi-launch-agreement-with-l3harris/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-signs-multi-launch-agreement-with-l3harris/#respond Wed, 07 Aug 2024 13:00:02 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=498356 Alpha 4th launch

Firefly Aerospace has won a contract from L3Harris for as many as 20 launches of its Alpha rocket over five years.

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Firefly CEO leaves company https://spacenews.com/firefly-ceo-leaves-company/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-ceo-leaves-company/#respond Thu, 18 Jul 2024 09:05:50 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=497260 Alpha FLTA0005 launch

The chief executive of Firefly Aerospace has left the company amid reports the company was investigating an alleged inappropriate relationship.

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Firefly Aerospace launches NASA-sponsored cubesats https://spacenews.com/firefly-aerospace-launches-nasa-sponsored-cubesats/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-aerospace-launches-nasa-sponsored-cubesats/#respond Thu, 04 Jul 2024 15:31:09 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=466049 Alpha FLTA0005 launch

Firefly Aerospace placed eight cubesats into orbit on a mission funded by NASA on the first flight of the company’s Alpha rocket since an upper stage malfunction more than half a year ago.

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Firefly to launch Alpha rockets from Esrange in Sweden https://spacenews.com/firefly-to-launch-alpha-rockets-from-esrange-in-sweden/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-to-launch-alpha-rockets-from-esrange-in-sweden/#respond Thu, 27 Jun 2024 15:09:53 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=454136

Firefly Aerospace has entered an agreement to launch its Alpha rocket from the Esrange Space Centre in northern Sweden.

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Firefly to launch Alpha from Wallops https://spacenews.com/firefly-to-launch-alpha-from-wallops/ https://spacenews.com/firefly-to-launch-alpha-from-wallops/#respond Mon, 24 Jun 2024 21:36:39 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=445959 Alpha at Wallops

Firefly Aerospace announced June 24 it plans to launch its Alpha rocket from the same pad at Wallops Island, Virginia, used by the Antares rocket, rather than from Cape Canaveral as previously planned.

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