Firefly Alpha

History

The initial 2014 design of Alpha was a two-stage vehicle with an FRE-2 methalox aerospike engine on the first stage and an FRE-1 bell-nozzle engine on the second, intended to carry 400 kg to low Earth orbit. In 2015, NASA's Launch Services Program awarded Firefly Space Systems a US$5.5 million Venture Class Launch Services contract to support development. After the March 2017 bankruptcy of Firefly Space Systems and reorganization into Firefly Aerospace, the vehicle was redesigned to a larger rocket with over twice the capacity.

The new version uses RP-1/LOX propellants, a 1.8 m diameter for both stages, and a lightweight carbon composite airframe. In March 2018, Firefly stated development would cost about US$100 million. The maiden flight on 3 September 2021 from Vandenberg Space Force Base failed when a fuel valve electrical connector sheared about 15 seconds after launch, causing loss of control and manual activation of the flight termination system. The second orbital test flight on 1 October 2022 reached orbit and deployed seven satellites, though most re-entered within a week due to a lower-than-intended deployment orbit.

The first fully successful launch occurred on 15 September 2023. In 2024, Firefly announced plans for a Horizontal Integration Facility at Wallops Island, Virginia. On 29 September 2025, the first stage for Alpha Flight 7 was destroyed in a ground test at the Firefly facility in Briggs, Texas.

Design

The first stage uses four Reaver LOX/RP-1 tap-off cycle engines producing 736 kN of thrust. The second stage is powered by one Lightning LOX/RP-1 engine delivering 70.1 kN of thrust with a specific impulse of 322 seconds; a long-duration test fire of Lightning 1 ran nearly five minutes on 15 March 2018. The airframe is all carbon-fiber composite, chosen for fuel efficiency over denser materials like titanium and aluminum.

Alpha can carry up to 1170 kg to a 200 km low Earth orbit or up to 745 kg to a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit. It accommodates primary payloads alone or with up to six CubeSats as secondary payloads, allowing dedicated small-satellite launches independent of larger payload schedules. Firefly positions Alpha as a direct American competitor to India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in the small satellite market.

Launch sites

Firefly leases Vandenberg pad SLC-2W for Alpha and Eclipse launches, a site previously used for Delta, Thor-Agena, and Delta II vehicles. The company also holds a lease at Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 20 for future low-inclination launches. Firefly is working with Northrop Grumman to use LP-0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia and plans a launch site at Esrange Space Center in Sweden, with launches from Virginia and Sweden expected as soon as 2026. As of June 2026, the first Esrange launch is planned for 2028.