Firefly Alpha | Stairway to Seven

Firefly Alpha's Flight 7 is a test flight and return-To-Flight for the launch vehicle after its April 2025 launch failure. It will test and validate key systems ahead of Firefly’s Block II configuration upgrade on Flight 8 that’s designed to enhance reliability and manufacturability across the vehicle. Flight 7 is the last flown in Alpha’s current configuration and will test multiple Block II subsystems, including the in-house avionics and thermal improvements, to gain flight heritage and validate lessons learned ahead of the full configuration upgrade on Flight 8. This launch also delivered a demonstrator payload for Lockheed Martin.

Mission Details

  • Launch date: March 12, 2026 at 12:50 AM UTC
  • Launch vehicle: Firefly Alpha
  • Operator: Firefly Aerospace
  • Launch site: Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
  • Mission type: Test Flight