new Medium Launch Vehicle
Firefly Aerospace, Inc., an end-to-end space transportation company, is adding an Alpha launch capability at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia.
In support of Firefly’s responsive space missions, Pad-0A will be configured to launch Alpha as early as 2025 in addition to Antares 330 and the Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV) that Firefly is co-developing with Northrop Grumman.
The new launch capability on Wallops Island will supplement Firefly’s existing Alpha launch facilities and further enable Firefly to support rapid, on-demand missions for government and commercial customers. In addition to the launch pad, Firefly plans to operate a launch control center, horizontal integration facility, and administrative office space on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Firefly will also use existing infrastructure in the area, such as vehicle and payload processing facilities, to eliminate bottlenecks and retain Firefly’s rapid launch capabilities, recently demonstrated for the VICTUS NOX mission that was executed with a 24-hour launch notice.
Capable of lifting more than 1,000 kg to LEO, Firefly’s flight-proven Alpha rocket uses patented propulsion technology and carbon composite structures built with automated machinery to provide a reliable, low cost, responsive solution for the domestic and international launch market. With East and West Coast launch capabilities, Firefly will further increase Alpha’s launch cadence to a monthly basis by 2026 after launching up to four times in 2024 and six times in 2025.
“Firefly is committed to establishing a regular on-demand launch service and serving our customers’ growing responsive space needs, and that requires operating a diverse set of launch sites,” said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “Virginia Spaceport Authority further sets us up for success by enabling a streamlined approach to launching both Alpha and MLV from one location at MARS with minimal congestion from the broader launch market.”
Firefly is an end-to-end space transportation company with launch, lunar, and in-space services. As an all-American company headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is focused on delivering responsive, reliable, and affordable space access for government and commercial customers. Firefly’s small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide the space industry with a single source for missions from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond.