Cedar Park, Texas, October 17, 2024 – Firefly Aerospace, Inc., an end-to-end space transportation company, and space defense technology company True Anomaly, Inc., today announced a multi-launch agreement for three responsive launch missions aboard Firefly’s Alpha rocket. The first mission will deploy the True Anomaly Jackal Autonomous Orbital Vehicle (AOV) for the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command’s VICTUS HAZE Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) mission targeted for 2025. The two additional missions are available for execution between 2025 and 2027.

“VICTUS HAZE is an exemplar for how strong partnerships between the U.S. government and an exceptional industry team can create asymmetric capabilities at record speeds,” said Even Rogers, CEO of True Anomaly. “Firefly Aerospace has consistently demonstrated innovation and agility in the rapidly evolving landscape of responsive space launch logistics and space vehicle deployment. We are confident that they will build on their track record from VICTUS NOX, enabling True Anomaly to deploy the Jackal Autonomous Orbital Vehicle for VITCUS HAZE. The procurement of additional rapid, responsive launch capacity from Firefly beyond VICTUS HAZE, paired with True Anomaly’s rapid manufacturing capability will enable standing capacity for the U.S. National Security Space enterprise to rapidly respond to mission requirements in Low Earth Orbit and Medium Earth Orbit.”

True Anomaly first announced it was selected for the VICTUS HAZE mission in April 2024. Now with support from Firefly, the company will execute four main phases: build, hot standby, launch, and on-orbit operations. During the build phase, True Anomaly will complete development and testing of its Jackal Autonomous Orbital Vehicle at its factory GravityWorks in Denver, Colorado, and transport it to Firefly’s SLC-2 payload processing facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California for fueling, integration, and encapsulation in Alpha’s fairing. The True Anomaly and Firefly joint mission team will then enter the hot standby phase while the encapsulated payload remains stored in Firefly’s environmentally controlled processing facility.

True Anomaly and Firefly 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 Alpha, fuel the rocket, and launch within the first available window. Once True Anomaly’s Jackal spacecraft is deployed, True Anomaly will begin its on-orbit operations to include operating near a second VICTUS HAZE performer, Rocket Lab National Security. “After launching VICTUS NOX last year, the Firefly team is ready to hit the ground running to support another rapid launch for tactically responsive space,” said Jason Kim, CEO at Firefly Aerospace. “We are honored by the vote of confidence from True Anomaly and the U.S. Space Force in Firefly’s ability to unlock repeatable, on-demand launch capabilities that enable our nation to respond to urgent on-orbit needs.”

VICTUS HAZE will be the second U.S. Space Force mission Firefly has supported with its rapid launch capabilities. In September 2023, Firefly successfully launched the U.S. Space Force’s VICTUS NOX mission following a 24-hour notice, demonstrating a critical capability for the United States to rapidly respond to on-orbit needs during a conflict or in response to a national security threat. The Firefly team has since operated every Alpha launch as a responsive space demonstration, enabling the team to continue practicing and streamlining its rapid launch capabilities for both government and commercial customers.

About Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end space transportation company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners (“AEI”) 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.

About True Anomaly

True Anomaly builds defense technologies to deliver solutions for space security, sustainability, and protection. The company’s solutions enable the U.S. government, its allies, and partners as well as the commercial space industry to lead safe, resilient operations on orbit to secure life on Earth.

Source: Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace, an end-to-end space transportation company, today announced Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander has arrived at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for environmental testing before the lander ships to Cape Canaveral for a Q4 2024 launch. As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 lander is integrated with 10 scientific instruments and technology demonstrations that will help pave the way for humanity’s return to the Moon.

“Firefly is proud to follow in the footsteps of the Surveyor landers that were tested in the same JPL facilities,” said Peter Schumacher, Interim CEO at Firefly Aerospace. “The extensive environmental testing we’ll complete at JPL combined with the robust testing we’ve already completed in house will further reduce our risk posture and set us up for a successful, soft landing.”

The environmental testing at JPL includes vibration, acoustic, thermal vacuum, and electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing to ensure the integrated lander can withstand various flight environments during launch, transit, and landing on the Moon. This testing follows Firefly’s robust testing campaign, including extensive qualification testing on the assembled Blue Ghost structure and each component.

Firefly also completed nearly 100 lander leg drop tests on multiple surfaces, including sand, lunar simulant, and concrete, to ensure Blue Ghost’s shock-absorbing footpads can withstand the unpredictable nature of the lunar surface. The team further built a one-acre moonscape at its Rocket Ranch to test the hazard avoidance and terrain-relative navigation system on a heavy-lift drone, ensuring the system can identify the safest landing site in the final moments of descent.

“This incredible Firefly team implemented innovative testing approaches that are setting a new standard in the industry,” said Jana Spruce, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace. “After all the hard work, it’s bittersweet to see Blue Ghost leave our Texas-based facility, but we’re more than ready for this final test. We’ll have a dedicated team of Fireflies with the lander every step of the way as Blue Ghost travels from Texas to California to Florida ahead of this historic journey to the Moon.”

Following final testing, Firefly’s Blue Ghost will ship to Cape Canaveral, Florida, ahead of its launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket scheduled for Q4 2024. Blue Ghost will then begin its transit to the Moon, including approximately a month in Earth orbit and two weeks in lunar orbit. This approach provides ample time to conduct robust health checks on each subsystem and begin payload operations during transit.

Blue Ghost will then land in Mare Crisium, a basin in the northeast quadrant on the Moon’s near side, before deploying and operating 10 instruments for a lunar day (14 Earth days) and more than 5 hours into the lunar night.

About Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end space transportation company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners (“AEI”) 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.

Source: Firefly Aerospace

Cedar Park, Texas, August 7, 2024 – Firefly Aerospace, Inc., an end-to-end space transportation company, today announced it signed a multi-launch agreement with L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) for up to 20 launches on Firefly’s Alpha rocket, including two to four missions per year from 2027 to 2031 depending on customer needs. The new agreement is in addition to Firefly’s existing multi-launch agreement with L3Harris for three Alpha missions in 2026.

“The Firefly team is proud to build on our existing relationship with L3Harris and serve as a long-term launch provider for their robust satellite systems,” said Peter Schumacher, Interim CEO at Firefly Aerospace. “Firefly continues to see growing demand for Alpha’s responsive small-lift services, and we’re committed to providing a dedicated launch option that takes our customers directly to their preferred orbits.”

Under the agreement, Firefly’s Alpha rocket will launch L3Harris spacecraft into low-Earth orbit from Firefly’s SLC-2 launch site at the Vandenberg Space Force Base. Alpha supports the responsive space needs of both government and commercial customers with the ability to provide direct, on-demand deliveries for satellites up to 1,030 kg.

Following the most recent Alpha launch for NASA, Firefly continues to accelerate vehicle production. The company’s latest facility expansion in Briggs, Texas, including a new automated fiber placement machine, allows the team to rapidly build and test Alpha’s carbon composite structures in a matter of days versus weeks.

About Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end space transportation company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners (“AEI”) 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.

Source: Firefly Aerospace

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif., – July 4, 2024 – Firefly Aerospace, an end-to-end space transportation company, today announced it successfully launched its Alpha Flight 5 (FLTA005) rocket and completed the payload deployment sequence as part of the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with NASA.

The mission, called Noise of Summer, lifted off from Firefly’s SLC-2 launch site at the Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:04 p.m. PDT on July 3, 2024. Following payload deployment, Firefly successfully performed a second stage relight and plane change maneuver to further test and validate Alpha’s on-orbit capabilities.

“The Firefly team knocked it out of the park,” said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “As a NASA vendor for both launch and lunar services, we look forward to continuing this partnership and supporting the agency’s larger space exploration goals from Earth to the Moon and beyond.”

As a NASA VCLS Demo 2 task order, the successful mission further validates Alpha’s capabilities to provide small satellite launches for NASA on a recurring basis. The mission’s CubeSats were selected through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) that provides U.S. educational institutions and nonprofits with low-cost access to space.

“The launch of Firefly Aerospace’s demonstration mission marks one more way NASA is innovating for the benefit of humanity,” said Hamilton Fernandez, mission manager for NASA’s Launch Services Program. “NASA is using CubeSat missions to demonstrate the capability of small rockets and build relationships with this new part of the U.S. launch vehicle industry.” At the time of this release, ongoing activities are underway by NASA and the CubeSat teams as they work to acquire signals for all satellites. Additional updates will be posted to the mission webpage.

Looking ahead, Firefly is in the final testing phase for its next Alpha launch, FLTA006, in support of a dedicated commercial mission for Lockheed Martin. The Firefly team is concurrently ramping up for a responsive on-orbit Elytra mission that will launch on Alpha FLTA007 later this year while also working to complete the final readiness milestones for its first Blue Ghost mission to the Moon launching in Q4 2024.

About Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end space transportation company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners (“AEI”) 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.

Source: Firefly Aerospace