Cedar Park Aerospace Firm Secures U.S. Air Force Launch Blessing

CEDAR PARK, TX — Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace Inc. has secured support from the U.S. Air Force to use a California site for a planned launch of its commercial rocket, officials announced.

A commercial rocket under development by Firefly is scheduled to conduct its first orbital flight in 2019 from the Vandenberg U.S. Air Force base in California. The company this week secured a so-called "statement of support" from the U.S. Air Force for use of the launch site toward that end, officials said.

Specifically, the Air Force blessing relates to the company's Firefly Aerospace Program, Alpha and Beta Launch Vehicles utilizing Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) Space Launch Complex 2 West (SLC-2W) for future launches of the Firefly Alpha and Beta launch vehicles, officials explained. The company's Alpha launch vehicle designed to compete with other light-class boosters carrying small and medium-sized satellites into orbit is now slated to lift off from Space Launch Complex 2-West at Vandenberg, a military base on the Pacific coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“Firefly Aerospace is greatly appreciative that NASA and the USAF support the transition of SLC-2W to a commercial launch site dedicated to the launch of Firefly vehicles,” Firefly CEO Dr. Tom Markusic said in a prepared statement. “SLC-2W has been an incredible asset for US space missions for over 50 years. We are humbled and honored that Firefly Alpha and Beta launch vehicles will be adding many successful missions to the already storied history of SLC-2W.”

Added 30th Space Wing Commander, Col. Michael S. Hough: “We are excited to be currently working with a new launch provider, Firefly, at Vandenberg Air Force Base. This is a new commercial space lift provider seeking to launch commercial satellites from SLC-2W.”

Firefly’s Director of Launch, Brad Obrocto, added: “Converting an active government launch site to commercial operation is substantially less complex and costly than the greenfield development of a new launch site, saving Firefly years of facility development and substantial capex dollars. This enables Firefly to stay on track for Alpha’s first flight by the third quarter of 2019 and ramp up to monthly launches by the end of 2020. The accommodation of Firefly launch by the USAF significantly enhances Firefly’s ability to service the full spectrum of government and commercial customers from one location and advances Firefly’s vision of ‘Making Space for Everyone.’ "

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE (provided text):

Firefly is developing a family of launch vehicles to provide industry-leading affordability, convenience and reliability for dedicated light to medium lift launches. Firefly’s Alpha and Beta vehicles utilize common technologies, manufacturing infrastructure and launch capabilities, providing LEO launch solutions for up to one and four metric tons of payload respectively. Alpha and Beta will provide the space industry with access to frequent launches at the lowest cost/kg, enabling ambitious commercial and exploration missions from LEO to the moon. Headquartered in Cedar Park TX, Firefly has additional presence in Washington, D.C., Dnipro, Ukraine and Tokyo, Japan. Firefly is financed by Noosphere Ventures of Menlo Park, CA.

>>> Image via Firefly Aerospace Inc., used with permission