With orbital launch, Firefly takes an early lead in the 1-ton rocket race

Since the first flight of the Falcon 1 rocket in 2008, a number of other companies have developed and launched small, liquid- fueled rockets. All of the boosters, including the Falcon 1, could only lift a small amount into Earth's low altitude space.

A newer generation of companies has decided that their first rockets should be larger and capable of lifting more than 1 metric ton. In their opinion, the micro-launchers don't have enough lift capacity to meet the needs of today's satellite customers.

In order to develop a larger rocket as their first vehicle, a number of companies have pushed. The first of these companies, Firefly, was launched this weekend.

Need to execute

The Alpha rocket was powered by four Reaver engines and lifted off at 12:01 am on Saturday. One of the Reaver engines failed during the initial launch attempt.

Firefly chief executive Bill Weber told Ars that the company was ready to become a provider of spaceflight services, not just as a launch company. Execution is the only thing holding them back.

Saturday's flight was crucial because of this. The "Blue Ghost" lunar lander is one of the programs that Firefly is working on. The company is working on a vehicle that can go between Earth and the moon. The company is working on the "Miranda" rocket engine, which will be used by the company for its rocket, as well as a brand-new medium-lift vehicle the companies are working on.

Weber became the company's new CEO earlier this year. Tom Markusic stepped down as chief executive in June. Firefly has 450 employees in Texas, many of them at its headquarters.

A crowded field

The biggest near-term challenge for Firefly is moving Alpha from development to operations. After launching another Alpha this year, the company will fly six times in three years. One launch a month is the goal of Firefly.

There is demand for launch services in the 1-plus ton class. A safe and reliable rocket will be the key to this competition.

He said that there would be eyes on the rest of the market. We have to take care of things that Firefly can't. Our business is going to be fine regardless of what happens with ABL. Firefly does not require others to fail.

The major defense contractor had a choice of US rocket companies and the company's partnership with them is noteworthy. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there was a need for a new provider of engines for the Antares vehicle. The partnership with Firefly was announced this spring.

The existing Antares launch vehicle can lift up to 8 metric tons to low Earth orbit, but with this new rocket it will be able to lift up to 7 metric tons. Firefly is confident in the design of the Miranda engine because it is based on a scaled up version of the Reaver engine.