A nighttime test of the Firefly Alpha stage one Reaver engines at the aerospace company’s test facility in Briggs, Texas. Photo: Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace, a provider of launch vehicles, spacecraft, and in-space services, and Spaceflight, a launch services and mission management provider, have signed a Launch Services Agreement (LSA). The agreement confirms that Spaceflight will secure the majority of the payload mass aboard a Firefly Alpha launch, scheduled for lift off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2021.

In addition to being the anchor customer, Spaceflight will sign, manage, integrate, and deploy multiple payloads on the flight, enabling Firefly to maximize its full 630 kilogram launch capacity on the commercial Alpha mission to Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Also, according to the LSA, Spaceflight will help maximize payload capacity aboard future Firefly Alpha launches.

“Spaceflight has long been committed to providing reliable, cost-effective access to space and we are eager to partner with Firefly, as both companies share this exciting vision,” said Curt Blake, CEO and president of Spaceflight. “In fact, we have many customers in mind, including some specifically in APAC, which we believe will benefit from this additional capacity and flexibility. Spaceflight is honored to secure the primary payload aboard an Alpha flight in 2021, and we very much look forward to working closely with the Firefly team to accelerate more small satellite rideshare launches for the industry.”