Firefly Alpha
OperationalFirefly Aerospace · United States · First flight 2021
A small launch vehicle for dedicated small-satellite missions, with tap-off cycle Reaver and Lightning engines and carbon composite structures. An April 2025 flight failed after a stage-separation mishap, and a first stage was destroyed in a September 2025 ground test; Alpha returned to flight successfully on 12 March 2026. Firefly is also co-developing the larger Eclipse rocket with Northrop Grumman.
Launch price
Not published
Payload to LEO
1,030 kg
Career record
57.1%
4/7 successful · as of 2026-10-09
Next launch
NET Q4 2026
ConnectedCosmos Launch 2
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More launch calendarsLaunch activity, live
From SpaceNexus's launch tracker (tracked since Apr 29, 2025); outcomes recorded as each flight lands. Career totals above are the vehicle's full history.
Last 90 days
0
launches flown
Tracked flights
2
1 success · 0 partial · 1 failed
Tracked success rate
50%
full successes / attempts; partial failures are not successes
On the manifest
7
upcoming launches
Upcoming
Specifications
| Height | 31.7 m |
| Diameter | 1.82 m |
| Liftoff mass | 54,000 kg |
| Stages | 2 |
| Engines | 4x Reaver 1 + 1x Lightning 1 |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX |
| Fairing diameter | 2.2 m |
| Payload to LEO | 1,030 kg |
| Payload to SSO | 630 kg |
| Reusable | No |
| First flight | 2021-09-03 |
| Last flight | Active |
| Variants seen on the manifest | Firefly Alpha, Firefly Alpha Block 2 |
Where it launches from
Frequently asked
How much does a Firefly Alpha launch cost?
Firefly Aerospace has not published a list price for Firefly Alpha.
When is the next Firefly Alpha launch?
The next tracked Firefly Alpha launch is ConnectedCosmos Launch 2, NET Q4 2026 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. Dates move; Mission Control carries the live countdown.
How reliable is Firefly Alpha?
Firefly Alpha has flown 7 times as of 2026-10-09, with 4 successes, 3 failures and 0 partial failures: a 57.1% success rate, with 1 consecutive successes at last count.
How much can Firefly Alpha carry?
1,030 kg to low Earth orbit, 630 kg to sun-synchronous orbit.