Firefly Qualifies Key Rocket Component

This upgrade to the Antares rocket was driven by geopolitical necessity. The previous Antares 230+ series relied on a first stage manufactured by the Ukrainian company Yuzhmash State Enterprise and RD-181 engines from Russia's NPO Energomash. Russia's invasion of Ukraine severed these supply chains, forcing Northrop Grumman to find a domestic partner to ensure the future of its ISS cargo resupply missions. The new Antares 330 first stage, built entirely in the U.S. by Firefly, represents a significant performance leap. It will be powered by seven of Firefly's Miranda engines, collectively producing over 1.6 million pounds of thrust. This is a substantial increase from the approximately 864,000 pounds of thrust generated by the two Russian engines on the previous version. This increased power allows the Antares 330 to carry heavier payloads, boosting its capacity for ISS cargo missions from about 8,100 kg to over 10,000 kg. The rocket will continue to use Northrop Grumman's proven Castor 30XL solid rocket motor for its second stage and existing avionics systems. The first launch of the Antares 330 is anticipated in mid-2025. Firefly's expertise in composite manufacturing is central to the new design. The company utilizes Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) machines to fabricate large carbon-fiber structures, including barrels and domes, significantly faster and more efficiently than traditional methods. This technology, also used for aircraft like the Boeing 787 and F-35, allows Firefly to produce the entire composite airframe for its own Alpha rocket in as little as fourteen days. The Antares 330 is an interim step. The new, more powerful first stage will also serve as the foundation for a future Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV), which is being co-developed by both companies. This MLV, to be named Eclipse, will feature a new liquid-fueled upper stage also built by Firefly and will be able to launch even heavier payloads of up to 16,000 kg to low Earth orbit. To accommodate the more powerful rocket, Launch Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia is undergoing significant upgrades. Modifications are being made to the launch mount and flame deflector to handle the increased thrust from the seven Miranda engines. While the Antares 330 is in development, Northrop Grumman has contracted with SpaceX to launch three Cygnus cargo missions on Falcon 9 rockets to avoid interrupting supplies to the ISS.