Firefly lunar lander headed for the moon by second

FIREFLY AND SERENITY GUERILLA MARKETING

Firefly lunar lander headed for the moon

POSTED BY: SECOND
UPDATED: Sunday, February 16, 2025 18:19
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Tuesday, November 15, 2022 7:41 PM

THG

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Tuesday, November 22, 2022 1:09 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

The schedule changed on Nov 20, 2022.

VCLS Demo-2FB (ELaNa 43)
A Firefly Alpha rocket will launch the VCLS Demo-2FB (ELaNa 43) mission. The launch date is currently targeted for January, 2023 (UTC).

https://www.rocketlaunch.live/?includePast=1&filter=firefly

Flight Three
Firefly Alpha
Firefly Aerospace

The Firefly Countdown Clock reads:
02 MONTH
09 DAYS
05 HOURS
53 MINUTES
21 SECONDS

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flight-three/

What is the mission? ELaNa CubeSat Launches:

ELaNa 43
Eight CubeSat missions scheduled to be deployed
• CatSat - University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
• KUbe-Sat-1 - University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan.
• MESAT1 - University of Maine, Orono, Maine
• OwlSat - Rice University, Houston, Texas
• R5-S4 - NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
• REAL - Dartmouth University, Hanover, N.H.
• SOC-i - University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
• Starling - NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

https://www.nasa.gov/content/upcoming-elana-cubesat-launches

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Thursday, December 8, 2022 10:38 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

New Mission! There is a ninth satellite added to Firefly's third flight.

The ninth satellite is named Serenity:

ELaNa 43

Nine CubeSat missions are scheduled to be deployed

• CatSat - University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.

• KUbe-Sat-1 - University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan.

• MESAT1 - University of Maine, Orono, Maine

• R5-S4 - NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

• R5-S2-2.0 - NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

• REAL - Dartmouth University, Hanover, N.H.

• SOC-i - University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.

• TechEdSat-11 - NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif.

• Serenity - Teachers in Space, North America

https://www.nasa.gov/content/upcoming-elana-cubesat-launches

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Friday, December 9, 2022 7:51 PM

THG

Very cool, can't wait...

T

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Saturday, January 28, 2023 9:01 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Flight Three • Firefly Alpha • Firefly Aerospace

Launch Status
Date/Time Tue • Feb 28th, 2023
12:00 AM UTC

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flight-three/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Sunday, January 29, 2023 12:22 PM

THG

Quote:
Originally posted by second:

Flight Three • Firefly Alpha • Firefly Aerospace

Launch Status
Date/Time Tue • Feb 28th, 2023
12:00 AM UTC

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flight-three/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly]

Keep the updates coming TWO. It's great to see Firefly getting going.

T

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Friday, February 10, 2023 10:45 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly’s first U.S. Space Force launch targeted for May

The mission will attempt to demonstrate industry capabilities to send a payload to orbit on 24 hours’ notice.

If only Mal Reynolds would run his shipping business this predictably, he'd be wealthy:

The chief executive of Firefly Aerospace Bill Weber said Feb. 7, “Responsive space is not just a government mission. Predictability, full rate production, dependability, schedule, that’s what we’re trying to weave into the business.”

More at https://spacenews.com/fireflys-first-u-s-space-force-launch-targeted-f
or-may/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Friday, February 10, 2023 10:50 AM

THG

Fingers crossed...

T

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Friday, February 24, 2023 4:38 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Delayed Two Months!

Flight Three • Firefly Alpha • Firefly Aerospace

Launch Status
Date/Time To Be Determined • April 2023
12:00 AM UTC

https://www spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flight-three/ Obsolete URL

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Friday, February 24, 2023 3:20 PM

THG

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Delayed Two Months!

Flight Three • Firefly Alpha • Firefly Aerospace

Launch Status
Date/Time To Be Determined • April 2023
12:00 AM UTC

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flight-three/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

Crap...

T

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Monday, May 1, 2023 1:38 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

New launch day and time: Tue • May 30th, 2023, 7:00 PM CDT

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Wednesday, May 3, 2023 7:14 PM

THG

Fingers crossed.

T

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Tuesday, May 30, 2023 6:42 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
New launch day and time: Tue • May 30th, 2023, 7:00 PM CDT

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

On the day of launch, Firefly moves the day to Thu • Jun 29th, 2023
7:00 PM CDT

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Thursday, June 15, 2023 4:40 PM

THG

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by second:
New launch day and time: Tue • May 30th, 2023, 7:00 PM CDT

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

On the day of launch, Firefly moves the day to Thu • Jun 29th, 2023
7:00 PM CDT

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

tick tock second.

T

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Saturday, June 17, 2023 6:36 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Quote:
Originally posted by THG:

tick tock second.

T

I think Firefly keeps moving the launch date because it keeps running out of parts:

Firefly to buy remaining Virgin Orbit assets by Jeff Foust
June 16, 2023

“Firefly strategically bid and purchased the Virgin Orbit inventory for the significant cost savings on common off-the-shelf components that we use in our product lines, and the benefit of eliminated supply chain lead-times associated with critical flight components,” Firefly Aerospace said in a statement late June 16. “Firefly will not be utilizing all of the inventory and plans to provide additional information to parties who may be interested in purchasing.”

https://spacenews.com/firefly-to-buy-remaining-virgin-orbit-assets/

Mal has bought the entire junkyard inventory so that Kaylee will have the parts she needs.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Saturday, June 17, 2023 1:34 PM

THG

That's news.

T

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Thursday, June 29, 2023 2:25 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by second:
New launch day and time: Tue • May 30th, 2023, 7:00 PM CDT

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

On the day of launch, Firefly moves the day to Thu • Jun 29th, 2023
7:00 PM CDT

On the day of launch, Firefly delays one month. The new launch day is Sun • Jul 30th, 2023, 7:00 PM CDT.

Why am I not surprised? Because Firefly has done exactly that, before.

Also in today's news from Firefly:

Cedar Park, Texas, June 29, 2023 – Firefly Aerospace, Inc., an end-to-end space transportation company, today announced it signed a launch agreement with Lockheed Martin to support a technology demonstration mission that will launch aboard Firefly’s Alpha vehicle.

https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-signs-agreement-with-l
ockheed-martin-for-alpha-launch-services/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Friday, June 30, 2023 7:27 PM

THG

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Friday, June 30, 2023 11:26 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK

So is this thing going to launch before Trump is President?

Before the sun goes red giant?

--------------------------------------------------

How you do anything is how you do everything.

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Monday, July 24, 2023 7:03 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
So is this thing going to launch before Trump is President?

Before the sun goes red giant?

It was starting to get close to the July 30th launch date, so Firefly Aerospace moved the launch to some time, no specific day, in August.
https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Wednesday, August 9, 2023 7:24 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

August 8, 2023

Firefly Aerospace debuted a line of orbital vehicles called Elytra on Tuesday, as it looks to become an end-to-end mission services provider for commercial and government customers. The first Elytra will fly on a Firefly Alpha rocket in 2024, part of a rapid-response mission contract with Texas-based startup Xtenti for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

More about the three versions of Elytra at https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/08/firefly-debuts-elytra-orbital-transf
er-vehicles/

The word "Elytra" is semi-related to the bug kind of firefly.
Elytra (singular elytron) are the tough fore wings of beetles and earwigs. The elytra are not used in flight but are used to protect the more delicate hind wings.
https://www.amentsoc.org/insects/glossary/terms/elytra/

"Elytra" is also found in Minecraft
https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Elytra

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Monday, August 28, 2023 6:45 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly decided to delay the launch another month.

Launch Status Date/Time

Fri • Sep 29th, 2023
7:00 PM CDT

https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta003-victu
s-nox/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Wednesday, September 6, 2023 7:19 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly selected to launch three L3Harris satellites

L3Harris is building three small satellites for the U.S. government, scheduled to launch in 2026

September 5, 2023

https://spacenews.com/firefly-selected-to-launch-three-l3harris-satell
ites/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Friday, September 15, 2023 10:02 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly Aerospace @Firefly_Space

We did it y’all! Today was an incredible success for the Space Force, the Firefly team, and our nation after nailing the #VICTUSNOX responsive space mission. We launched our #AlphaRocket and deployed the satellite at the target destination following a 24-hour notice.

Congratulations to the entire team! And thank you to our mission partners at
@SpaceForceDoD,
@USSF_SSC,
@SLDelta30, and
Millennium Space Systems for your continued support.
#PartnersinSpace

Learn more here: https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-successfully-launches-
victus-nox-with-24-hour-notice/

1:40 AM · Sep 15, 2023
https://twitter.com/Firefly_Space/status/1702573114306015418

Firefly Aerospace Alpha Rocket from Vandenberg Lights Up San Diego Sky
https://timesofsandiego.com/military/2023/09/14/see-it-firefly-aerospa
ce-alpha-rocket-from-vandenberg-lights-up-san-diego-sky/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Saturday, September 16, 2023 7:03 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly Aerospace just set a new responsive-launch record.

The company's Alpha rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Thursday (Sept. 14) at 10:28 p.m. EDT (7:28 p.m. local California time; 0228 GMT on Sept. 15), kicking off a mission for the U.S. Space Force called Victus Nox.

The rocket roared off the pad just 27 hours after the U.S. Space Force gave the order — less time than on any previous national security mission.

The wheels for Victus Nox (Latin for "conquer the night") began turning in September 2022, when the Space Force awarded contracts to Texas-based Firefly and Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing subsidiary headquartered in the Los Angeles area that built the mission's payload.

More at https://www.space.com/firefly-aerospace-rapid-launch-space-force-succe
ss

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Monday, September 18, 2023 7:13 PM

THG

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Tuesday, November 28, 2023 1:28 PM

THG

What is next?

T

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Wednesday, November 29, 2023 7:49 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Quote:
Originally posted by THG:
What is next?

T

In keeping with the Firefly theme, the next thing is . . . Miranda!

Firefly conducts first Miranda engine test
By Jeff Foust | November 29, 2023

https://spacenews.com/firefly-conducts-first-miranda-engine-test/

WASHINGTON — Firefly Aerospace has conducted the first hot-fire test of a new engine that will power the company’s future launch vehicles.

Firefly announced Nov. 28 that it conducted the test of its Miranda engine at the company’s Texas test site. A company spokesperson said the test, performed at 65% power, was designed to validate the engine’s startup sequence.

The company plans to work its way up to a full-duration test in the coming months, running the engine for 206 seconds. Miranda uses liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants, generating 230,000 pounds-force of thrust.

Seven Miranda engines will power the first stage of the Antares 330, a new version of Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket that the companies announced a partnership to develop in August 2022. It will replace the Ukrainian-built first stage previously used on Antares with Russian engines. The companies expect the Antares 330 to be ready for a first flight as soon as mid-2025.

A similar first stage, also using seven Miranda engines, will be used on another rocket, currently called the Medium Launch Vehicle or MLV. A new second stage will use a single vacuum-optimized Miranda engine. That vehicle, ready for a first launch as soon as late 2025, will be able to place up to 16,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit, versus the 10,000 kilograms of the Antares 330.

“Upgrading the first stage of Antares in parallel with developing the Medium Launch Vehicle enables our two companies to bring a new launch vehicle to market more rapidly while also reducing risk in the design process,” Scott Lehr, vice president and general manager of launch and missile defense systems at Northrop Grumman, said in a statement about the test.

Bill Weber, chief executive of Firefly, noted in the statement that Miranda was developed in just over a year. “Building on the legacy of Firefly’s rapidly developed Reaver and Lightning engines, Miranda is the fastest propulsion system we’ve built and tested to date,” he said, referring to the engines the company developed for its Alpha launch vehicle.

In an interview earlier this month, Weber said the schedule for the first MLV launch was driven by having the vehicle eligible for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase Three program in time to on-ramp to that program’s “lane one” for emerging launch vehicles. “We want to fly that mission in late ’25 so that we put ourselves in a position to qualify for the ’26 manifests in lane one,” he said. “So far, so good. We’re on track.”

Firefly is balancing work on Miranda, Antares 330 and MLV with increasing production of its Alpha launch vehicle. That rocket most recently launched Sept. 14 on the Victus Nox mission for the U.S. Space Force to demonstrate tactically responsive space. The next Alpha launch, scheduled for December, will place into orbit a Lockheed Martin satellite to test new antenna technologies.

Weber said Firefly is planning four Alpha launches in 2024, all of which have customers manifested, and at least six launches in 2025. He said the company’s current facilities could support the production of up to 24 Alphas a year, provided there is sufficient demand and that the company can turn around launches that quickly.

Firefly announced Nov. 10 that it closed a third tranche of a Series C round, bringing the total raised since February to $300 million at a pre-money valuation of $1.5 billion. “We’re capitalized and we’re funded for our foreseeable future,” Weber said.

The company is continuing to raise money despite what he described as one of the most difficult markets to do so in recent memory. There was renewed interest after the Victus Nox launch, he said, and expects more interest after the upcoming Alpha launch. “I think there are some good options out there for us.”

FLTA004 Fly the Lightning
Projected To Launch
December, 2023
https://www.spacelaunchschedule.com/launch/firefly-alpha-flta004-fly-t
he-lightning/

Firefly's 24 Hour Rocket Launch Operations in 1 Minute!

Sep 15, 2023
The successful #VICTUSNOX mission demonstrates Firefly’s capability to launch on-demand and deploy assets when and where customers need them. Our combined commercial and government team executed the mission with record speed, agility, and flexibility, adding a critical capability to address our national security needs. SpaceForceDoD SLDelta30 #PartnersinSpace

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Wednesday, December 20, 2023 2:18 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly Aerospace scrubs Alpha rocket launch set for Dec. 20 due to weather

By Mike Wall, last updated about 2 hours ago

Liftoff had been scheduled for 12:24 p.m. ET today (Dec. 20).

Firefly has backup opportunities through Friday (Dec. 22).

https://www.space.com/firefly-aerospace-launch-fly-the-lightning

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Wednesday, December 20, 2023 6:02 PM

THG

Just too cool.

T

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Friday, December 22, 2023 1:04 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly Aerospace @Firefly_Space

Beautiful picture-perfect view of our Alpha rocket as we lifted off from @vandenberg_sfb at 9:32 a.m. PST this morning. Next, our second-stage engine will place the @lockheedmartin payload in its final orbit!
11:59 AM · Dec 22, 2023
https://twitter.com/Firefly_Space/status/1738258057820336416

Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket launches Lockheed Martin satellite to space
'Fly the Lightning' is taking a satellite to orbit for Lockheed Martin.

By Mike Wall | Dec 22, 2023

https://www.space.com/firefly-aerospace-launch-fly-the-lightning

The mission, codenamed “Fly the Lightning,” seeks to deploy an Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) demonstrator payload developed by Lockheed Martin’s Ignite organization as part of an agreement signed by the two companies in June.

Integrated onto a Terran Orbital Nebula small satellite bus and built using a proprietary design, the new wideband ESA sensor is expected to calibrate and be ready for operation in much less time than traditional on-orbit sensors, demonstrating the delivery of rapid capabilities to U.S. warfighters stationed across the globe.

The satellite, nicknamed “Tantrum,” serves as the lone payload launched on the FLTA004 “Fly the Lightning” mission — the fourth overall flight for Firefly’s Alpha small satellite launch vehicle and the second flight for the company in 2023.

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/12/fly-the-lightning/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Saturday, January 27, 2024 8:00 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly Aerospace to Compete for Launch Service Missions Under $700M NRO Contract

By Naomi Cooper | January 26, 2024

https://www.govconwire.com/2024/01/firefly-aerospace-to-compete-for-la
unch-service-missions-under-700m-nro-contract/

Firefly Aerospace has been qualified to compete for task orders under a potential 10-year, $700 million contract to provide its Alpha rocket to launch small satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office.

The company said Thursday it will serve as a launch service provider under the Streamlined Launch Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract to deploy NRO satellites to low Earth orbit from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, said the company has doubled the size of its launch facilities, installed automated carbon composite technologies and fine-tuned operations to address the growing demand for its Alpha rocket.

The small launch vehicle has a payload capacity of over 1,000 kg and can be paired with Firefly’s Elytra vehicle to support relocation, space domain awareness, and de-orbiting services.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Saturday, March 9, 2024 10:22 PM

THG

Rooting for them.

T

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Thursday, May 9, 2024 7:25 PM

THG

Firefly Aerospace Wants to Put Artificial Intelligence in Space

Is AI just a fad, or can it actually do some useful stuff?

One company that aims to find out is Swiss edge computing company Klepsydra, which, with a little help from Firefly Aerospace, aims to test whether AI can be used to fly spaceships later this year. In April, I had the opportunity to discuss this Klepsydra mission with Firefly CEO Bill Weber, who explained why AI may be uniquely suited for use in space.

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Friday, July 5, 2024 4:24 AM

ANONYMOUS1

Launch Time
Thu Jul 4, 2024 12:04 AM EDT

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6865

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2024/07/firefly-noise-of-summer/

Firefly launch

Reaver engines

Serenity satellite

Here is the text to video of launch if video doesn’t work here.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=VWAg2vWfWnY

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Friday, December 20, 2024 7:10 PM

THG

Firefly lunar lander headed for the moon.

T

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Saturday, December 21, 2024 10:22 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly lunar lander headed for the moon

Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander is flying annual missions to the Moon with payload services customized to the technology and exploration goals of each customer.
https://fireflyspace.com/blue-ghost/

Blue Ghost Mission 1
Launch Date: Mid-January 2025
Landing Site: Mare Crisium near Mons Latreille
Mission Name: Ghost Riders in the Sky
https://fireflyspace.com/missions/blue-ghost-mission-1/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Wednesday, December 25, 2024 8:45 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

NASA announced that it has awarded a new $179 million contract to Texas-based Firefly Aerospace as part of the Artemis lunar missions, the fourth it has awarded to the company to deliver projects to the Moon’s surface.

The mission, which aims to launch in 2028, will utilize the space startup’s Blue Ghost cargo lander to deliver six scientific experiments to an area on the Moon called Gruithuisen Domes, which were formed by lava millions of years ago in order to better understand Lunar geology.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/more-nasa-science-tech-will-fly-to-m
oon-aboard-future-firefly-flight/

Firefly’s first Moon mission for NASA is currently slated to launch in mid-January 2025 on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. That mission is scheduled to land at Mare Crisium in order to study a variety of surface conditions to help prepare for future crewed missions to the Moon.
https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-blue-ghost-mission-1-t
o-the-moon-readies-for-launch/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Wednesday, December 25, 2024 1:50 PM

THG

That's great stuff SECOND. Firefly lives on.

T

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Sunday, January 5, 2025 10:29 AM

THG

Very informative post.

T

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Wednesday, January 15, 2025 6:02 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Skip ahead to 4 minutes into the broadcast for a description of the spacecraft and mission.

Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 Launch to the Moon (Official NASA Broadcast)

The lander will carry 10 NASA science investigations to the Moon's surface.

Following launch, the lander will spend approximately 45 days in transit to the Moon before landing on the lunar surface in early March 2025. The 10 NASA payloads aboard the lander aim to test and demonstrate lunar subsurface drilling technology, regolith sample collection capabilities, global navigation satellite system abilities, radiation tolerant computing, and lunar dust mitigation methods.

Payloads https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_Aerospace_Blue_Ghost#Payloads
The payloads, collectively expected to total 94 kg (207 lb) in mass, include:

• The Regolith Adherence Characterization (RAC), which will determine how lunar regolith sticks to a range of materials exposed to the Moon's environment during landing and lander operations. Components will be derived from the MISSE-FF facility currently on the International Space Station (ISS).

• The Next Generation Lunar Retroreflectors (NGLR), which will serve as a target for lasers on Earth to precisely measure the distance between Earth and the Moon. The retroreflector that will fly on this mission also will provide data that could be used to understand various aspects of the lunar interior and address fundamental physics questions.

• The Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI), which will capture images of the interaction of Earth's magnetosphere with the flow of charged particles from the Sun, called the solar wind.

• The Reconfigurable, Radiation Tolerant Computer System (RadPC), which aims to demonstrate a radiation-tolerant computing technology. Due to the Moon's lack of atmosphere and magnetic field, radiation from the Sun will be a challenge for electronics. This investigation also will characterize the radiation effects on the lunar surface.

• The Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS), which is designed to characterize the structure and composition of the Moon's mantle by studying electric and magnetic fields. The investigation will make use of a flight-spare magnetometer, a device that measures magnetic fields, originally made for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft currently orbiting Mars.

• The Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity (LISTER), which is designed to measure heat flow from the interior of the Moon. The probe will attempt to drill 2.13-3.05 m (7 ft 0 in - 10 ft 0 in) into the lunar regolith to investigate the Moon's thermal properties at different depths.

• The Lunar PlanetVac (LPV), which is designed to acquire lunar regolith from the surface and transfer it to other instruments that would analyze the material or put it in a container that another spacecraft could return to Earth.

• Stereo CAmeras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS 1.1), which will capture video and still images of the area under the lander from when the engine plume first disturbs the lunar surface through engine shutdown. Long-focal-length cameras will determine the pre-landing surface topography. Photogrammetry will be used to reconstruct the changing surface during landing. Understanding the physics of rocket exhaust on the regolith, and the displacement of dust, gravel, and rocks is critical to understanding how to best avoid kicking up surface materials during the terminal phase of flight/landing on the Moon and other celestial bodies.

• The Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS), which will generate a non-uniform electric field using varying high voltage on multiple electrodes. This traveling field, in turn, carries away the particles and has potential applications in thermal radiators, spacesuit fabrics, visors, camera lenses, solar panels, and many other technologies.

• The Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE), which is based on GPS. LuGRE will continue to extend the reach of GPS signals and, if successful, be the first to discern GPS signals at lunar distances.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Wednesday, January 15, 2025 11:47 PM

THG

Just found this. Will watch it tomorrow.

T

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Wednesday, January 22, 2025 8:05 PM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Deployed

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Thursday, January 23, 2025 3:09 PM

THG

Very cool...

T

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Friday, January 24, 2025 8:04 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly Aerospace We're in Orbit! Blue Ghost Week 1 Update

Follow along on with every major update on our mission page:
https://fireflyspace.com/missions/blue-ghost-mission-1/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Saturday, January 25, 2025 5:56 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly’s Blue Ghost moon lander sees Earth as a 'blue marble' from orbit (photo)

By Brett Tingley | Jan 24, 2025

"Our GhostRiders captured the beauty of our home planet during another Earth orbit burn."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/blue-ghost
-moon-lander-sees-earth-as-a-blue-marble-from-orbit-photo

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Saturday, January 25, 2025 12:57 PM

THG

Quote:
Originally posted by second:

Firefly Aerospace We're in Orbit! Blue Ghost Week 1 Update

Follow along on with every major update on our mission page:
https://fireflyspace.com/missions/blue-ghost-mission-1/

Go Firefly...

T

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Saturday, January 25, 2025 12:58 PM

THG

Quote:
Originally posted by second:

Firefly’s Blue Ghost moon lander sees Earth as a 'blue marble' from orbit (photo)

By Brett Tingley | Jan 24, 2025

"Our GhostRiders captured the beauty of our home planet during another Earth orbit burn."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/blue-ghost
-moon-lander-sees-earth-as-a-blue-marble-from-orbit-photo

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Things are looking up for Firefly.

T

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Sunday, February 2, 2025 8:35 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Firefly Blue Ghost moon lander

We're Still in Earth Orbit! Blue Ghost Week 2 Update

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Sunday, February 2, 2025 9:35 AM

THG

Very cool...

T

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