Firefly Aerospace to Launch 25 Lockheed Martin Missions Under New Multi-Year Agreement

Firefly Aerospace, an American private space company founded by Max Polyakov, announced today the signing of a multi-launch agreement with Lockheed Martin. According to the announcement published on the website, Lockheed Martin purchases 25 launches of Firefly’s Alpha rocket through 2029, with Lockheed Martin committing to 15 launch reservations and securing options for 10 additional launches.

Firefly and Lockheed Martin Expand Partnership

Firefly will launch a variety of future Lockheed Martin spacecraft, including new payload technologies, into low-Earth orbit from Firefly’s facilities on the west and east coasts. Lockheed Martin benefits from Firefly’s lower-cost launch vehicle, which helps reduce risk for the company’s self-funded technology demonstration missions and paves the way for future efforts. The agreement also creates the benefits of a long-term partnership between the two companies and allows for a steady manifest supporting continued growth and technology investment.

“We are honored to extend our partnership with Lockheed Martin and value their trust in our rapid launch services to support their critical missions,” said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “Our team has enhanced Alpha production, testing, and streamlined our operations to increase launch frequency and responsiveness, meeting the industry’s demand for our one-metric-ton rocket.”

Under this agreement, Firefly’s Alpha rocket will launch Lockheed Martin spacecraft into low-Earth orbit from facilities on both the west and east coasts. The first mission under this new contract is slated to be Alpha flight 6 (FLTA006), launching from the Vandenberg Space Force Base’s SLC-2 site later this year.

“Our customers require rapid advancement of new mission capabilities,” stated Bob Behnken, Director of Ignite Technology Acceleration at Lockheed Martin Space. “This agreement with Firefly diversifies our access to space, allowing us to quickly demonstrate cutting-edge technology and explore tactical and responsive space solutions.”

Earlier, we reported that Firefly Aerospace’s investors are considering a sale that might increase the firm’s value to around $1.5 billion, according to Bloomberg’s anonymous sources.