Firefly advances production of Eclipse and Blue Ghost, announces Ocula
imaging service

Date:
Fri, 27 Jun 2025 19:33:29 +0000

Description:
Firefly Aerospace is continuing to make good progress toward the debut of the companys next-generation The post Firefly advances production of Eclipse and Blue Ghost, announces Ocula imaging service appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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Firefly Aerospace is continuing to make good progress toward the debut of
the companys next-generation launch vehicle, Eclipse, in partnership with Northrop Grumman. Formerly known as MLV, or Medium Launch Vehicle, Firefly
and Northrop Grumman announced the rockets new name on May 29.

Firefly also announced Ocula, a new commercial lunar imaging service that will utilize the companys Elytra orbital spacecraft bus. Additionally, the company is continuing to develop the lander and payloads for its second Blue Ghost mission to the Moon.



Eclipse production

As mentioned, Eclipse is a jointly developed rocket by Firefly and Northrop Grumman. Based on the Antares rocket, Eclipse will launch from the same pad
at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) in Wallops Island, Virginia. Firefly is a subcontractor for the new Antares 300 series, and Firefly will produce every first stage that the new Antares will use.

These Antares first stages are the same as those that will be used on Eclipse, reducing development times. The only difference between the two vehicles is that Northrop Grumman will utilize the second stage from the Antares 230+ rocket for the Antares 300, while Firefly will develop a new second stage with a 5.4 m diameter fairing for Eclipse. With Eclipse, we're combining decades of flight heritage and rapid innovation to deliver a launch vehicle as bold as our partnership with @NorthropGrumman ! Learn more: https://t.co/GDhTWzo3jN pic.twitter.com/H4ykrEL7b8

Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) May 29, 2025





Eclipse and the Antares 300 series will feature seven first stage Miranda engines. These engines operate on a combustion tap-off cycle using refined kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX) as propellants. Eclipses upper stage will feature Vira, a vacuum-optimized version of the Miranda engine. See Also Eclipse Updates Blue Ghost Mission 2 Updates Click Here to Join L2

Eclipse is expected to have a payload capacity of over 16,000 kg to
low-Earth orbit (LEO), filling a gap that Firefly says would be a sweet spot for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Lane 1 contracts and constellations to LEO, medium-Earth orbit (MEO), geostationary-Earth orbit (GEO), and trans-lunar injection (TLI).

While Firefly has been gaining more experience with launching Alpha, Eclipse production has been steadily ramping up in the background. In early May, the first-ever flight dome was completed using an automated fiber placement machine. This allows the domes to be made 35% lighter and produced three
times faster than before. The vehicle will be built from carbon composite materials to ensure a stronger structure with minimal weight. This dome will eventually be combined with a barrel section and a second dome to create the tanks in which the RP-1 and LOX will be stored.



On May 29, the new name for MLV, Eclipse, was officially announced. Also unveiled was a $50 million investment from Northrop Grumman to Firefly to further advance the production of the Antares 300 and Eclipse first stage.
The hardware for the first stage is currently undergoing qualification testing. With this additional funding, Firefly will be able to improve and accelerate production, as well as conduct further testing to ensure vehicle reliability prior to launch.

The Miranda engine is well into testing at Fireflys test facility at the Rocket Ranch in Briggs, Texas. On November 28, 2023, the engine completed its first hot fire. Now, just over a year and a half later, on June 4, the first full-power, full-duration burn was conducted on the test stand. This firing lasted for 206 seconds and demonstrated that the engine can survive a prolonged burn, indicating that, if all goes as planned, the first stage
could successfully reach orbit using the seven Miranda engines. Another Mission Duty Cycle in the books! We fired our Miranda engine at full power
for 206 seconds the full duration our 7 first stage engines will burn to
lift Eclipse off the launch pad and on its way to orbit. More to come as our hot fire summer continues! pic.twitter.com/TFzfaCaVbM

Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) June 4, 2025



Shortly afterward, on June 10, Firefly completed the engine bay of Eclipse and moved it to the test stand for structural load testing. This testing will simulate the forces the rocket will experience during the most extreme flight conditions, ensuring the rocket can survive its ascent through Earths thick atmosphere. Since the highest pressure difference occurs in the atmosphere, the rocket should only experience maximum forces for a brief period. However, testing it to endure heavy loads over a longer duration, as Firefly is doing, will only increase confidence in the vehicle.

Firefly also announced that the structure team had completed fit checks of the first stages propellant tanks. This indicates that the rockets first
stage is nearly finished. It has likely already been sent to the test stand for final testing. If it passes all these tests, the final integration will take place, and Elipses first stage will be transported to the launch pad at MARS for its debut launch.

All of these upgrades, along with many others, are crucial for building a safe and reliable rocket. If progress continues at this rate, it wont be long before Northrop Grumman launches the first Antares 300 and Firefly flies the first fully-assembled Eclipse. Eclipse engine bay complete and on the test stand! Up next, we'll conduct structural load testing to simulate and exceed the forces the rocket will experience during liftoff through maximum dynamic pressure (MaxQ). Having engineering, manufacturing, and testing all located
at our pic.twitter.com/I4ntDxd0wu

Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) June 10, 2025



Blue Ghost Mission 2 and Ocula development

Blue Ghost remains in active production for its second mission, with Firefly securing two NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) task orders after the success of its first Blue Ghost mission earlier this year. On its second lunar mission, the company will deliver payloads to lunar orbit and the surface using a new two-stage spacecraft configuration comprised of its
Elytra Dark orbiter and Blue Ghost lander.

The initial welds on Elytra Dark were completed on May 21 in Fireflys new prop and welding cleanroom. Elytra Dark will deliver many payloads to lunar orbit, with a recent announcement by Firefly revealing that it will carry the companys new Ocula commercial lunar imaging service. After the first successful commercial Moon landing, we have another first in the works! Introducing Ocula a commercial lunar imaging service offered through our Elytra orbiters. https://t.co/XcFErxiJrb

Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) June 18, 2025



Ocula will provide lunar surface mapping, mineral detection, reconnaissance, and domain awareness to customers, using ultraviolet and visible spectrum telescopes. It will orbit the Moon aboard Elytra and become one of the first commercial lunar imaging services. Elytra Dark is expected to stay
operational in lunar orbiter for more than five years, and Firefly has said that, in the future, they aim to bring this technology not only to the Moon but also Mars.

Blue Ghost Mission 2 is expected to launch to the Moon no earlier than 2026, with Blue Ghost landing on the far side of the Moon. With all the data
Firefly received from its first Blue Ghost mission and its eagerness to push the envelope by adding new systems like Ocula, it could be a lengthy wait before the next flight.

(Lead image: Render of Eclipse before launch. Credit: Firefly Aerospace/Northrop Grumman)



The post Firefly advances production of Eclipse and Blue Ghost, announces Ocula imaging service appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/06/firefly-update-062725/


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