Firefly Alpha Block 2
ActiveFirefly Aerospace (FA)
None
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. The Block 2 version features increased length and structural strength for both stages, optimized propellant tanks and consolidated in-house batteries and avionics.
Specifications
-
Stages
2 -
Length
31.6 m -
Diameter
1.82 m -
Fairing Diameter
2.21 m -
Launch Mass
54.0 T -
Thrust
736.0 kN
Family
-
Name
Firefly Alpha Block 2 -
Family
― -
Variant
Block 2 -
Alias
― -
Full Name
Firefly Alpha Block 2
Payload Capacity
-
Launch Cost
$15000000 -
Low Earth Orbit
1030.0 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 Block 2 | VICTUS HAZE Jackal
Firefly Aerospace | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
TBD June, 2026
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 Block 2 | QuickSounder
Firefly Aerospace | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
TBD September, 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 Block 2 | INCUS
Firefly Aerospace | United States of AmericaWallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
TBD October, 2026
Status: To Be Determined
Mission:
The Investigation of Convective Updrafts (INCUS) is a NASA Earth science mission led by Colorado State University that will investigate the behavior of tropical storms in order to better represent these storms in weather and climate models. It consists of 3 SmallSats flying in tight coordination to study why convective storms, heavy precipitation, and clouds occur exactly when and where they form. Each satellite will have a high frequency precipitation radar that observes rapid changes in convective cloud depth and intensities. 1 of the 3 satellites also will carry a microwave radiometer to provide the spatial content of the larger scale weather observed by the radars. By flying so closely together, the satellites will use the slight differences in when they make observations to apply a novel time-differencing approach to estimate the vertical transport of convective mass.
Low Earth OrbitFirefly Alpha Block 2 | TacSat
Firefly Aerospace | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
TBD December, 2026
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 OrbitFlight Record
No spaceflights found for .
Falcon 9
GPS III SV09
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USANinth of ten GPS III missions.
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 17-20
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USAA batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
New Shepard
NS-38
West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch - Corn Ranch, Van Horn, TX, USANS-38 is the 17th crewed flight for the New Shepard program and the 38th in the New Shepard program's history.
Electron
The Cosmos Will See You Now (Open Cosmos Constellation Launch 1)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New ZealandFirst 2 satellites (named MR-1 and MR-2) of UK-based Open Cosmos' secure LEO broadband constellation designed to provide independent and resilient co…
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 17-30
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USAA batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
