Firefly Aerospace Acquires Spaceflight Inc to Enhance Space Service Capability

Firefly competes for launching a small satellite into space. (photo: twitter @Firefly_Space ·)

JAKARTA - Firefly Aerospace, a rocket manufacturing company founded by former SpaceX engineers, announced on Thursday June 8 that it has acquired launch services company Spaceflight Inc, in a bid to enhance their on-orbit service capabilities.

Firefly is a space transportation company that assists customers such as NASA and General Atomics with launch, lunar and in space services. While Spaceflight offers maintenance services for satellites and other spacecraft while in orbit.

The deal comes at a time when demand for sending satellites into space remains strong, but US rocket startups are facing a tight funding environment following the bankruptcy of Virgin Orbit.

Demand has also shifted from launching multiple satellites using small rockets to launching a group of satellites simultaneously using larger rockets such as those made by SpaceX.

Firefly, based in Texas, is trying to mass produce their medium-sized rocket, while developing a larger launcher through a new partnership with Northrop Grumman.

Firefly's lunar lander, Blue Ghost, is slated to complete the first of two missions to the Moon next year with NASA, and will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Firefly is among several US space companies competing to launch small satellites into space. The company's value was more than US$1 billion (14.8 trillion) when private equity firm AE Industrial Partners became the controlling shareholder in March 2022.

Spaceflight operates a payload processing and manufacturing facility in Bellevue, Washington.