Firefly Aerospace, an AE Industrial Partners portfolio company, has acquired Spaceflight for an undisclosed sum to further strengthen its portfolio of on-orbit hosting and servicing, responsive launch and in-space mobility, lunar delivery operations and other space transportation services.
Spaceflight has supported the fielding of more than 460 payloads into space and provides orbital vehicles that offer payload deliveries, transfer and hosting services, Firefly said Thursday.
The company runs payload processing and manufacturing facilities in Bellevue, Washington, and brings capabilities that complement Firefly’s in-space, launch and lunar vehicles.
“This acquisition is the result of Firefly’s business plan to strengthen the company through organic growth in addition to accelerating its capabilities with strategic acquisitions,” said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace.
“The combination of Spaceflight’s on-orbit experience with Firefly’s launch vehicles, Blue Ghost landers, and Space Utility Vehicles is an overnight game changer for our customers and investors,” added Weber.
Firefly’s Alpha launch vehicle will support missions of NASA, the U.S. Space Force and other commercial clients in 2023, while its Blue Ghost lander is set to conduct the first of two lunar missions for NASA in 2024. The company’s Space Utility Vehicle is scheduled to demonstrate its on-orbit capabilities through a mission in early 2024.
In August 2022, Firefly partnered with Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) to build a medium launch vehicle for national security, civil and commercial applications.
