Northrop Grumman's $50 million investment in Firefly Aerospace is set to accelerate the development of the Eclipse rocket, a medium-lift launch vehicle poised to enhance space launch capabilities. This collaboration leverages Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket expertise and Firefly's Alpha rocket innovation to deliver increased power and payload capacity.
Eclipse combines the proven avionics of Northrop Grumman's Antares with a larger 5.4-meter payload fairing. It also incorporates Firefly's advancements in propulsion systems and carbon composite structures, derived from the Antares 330 first stage and Alpha rocket technologies. Firefly has already conducted over 60 Miranda engine hot fire tests as of June 2025.
Designed for versatility, the Eclipse rocket aims to deliver 16,300 kg to low Earth orbit or 3,200 kg to geosynchronous transfer orbit. While initial launches will be expendable, the long-term goal includes first-stage reusability. The inaugural launch, planned for 2026 from Wallops Island, Virginia, will support diverse missions, including space station resupply and deployment of commercial and government payloads.
Wendy Williams highlights Eclipse's balance of payload capacity and affordability, while Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, emphasizes the partnership's potential to reshape the launch market. The collaboration seeks to provide essential space-based services to a wide array of customers.
Eclipse is positioned as a strong contender for the Space Force's National Security Space Launch Program (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1. Firefly's use of the patented tap-off cycle architecture from Alpha's Reaver and Lightning engines for Eclipse's Miranda and Vira engines, along with a successful 206-second Miranda hot fire test, demonstrates its readiness for flight.