MLV (Medium Launch Vehicle), standing at 183 feet, is designed to launch as much as 16,300 kilograms of payload to orbit. The intended successor to Northrop Grumman’s Antares rockets, the pair of companies are co-developing MLV and aim to launch it for the first time in 2026.
“We’re making huge strides on MLV,” Kim said. “We’ve had 50 Miranda engine tests already.”
Before MLV debuts, Firefly will also be delivering part of Northrop’s Antares 330 rocket, with a first stage similar to MLV’s, by the third quarter of next year.
The MLV is going to flight this year?
Quote from: Tywin on 01/04/2025 03:02 pmThe MLV is going to flight this year?Antares 330, which uses Firefly first stage engines, is scheduled to fly in August this year. MLV is scheduled to fly in 2026.
That’s outdated, the current quote is that Antares 330 is scheduled to launch sometime in Q4 2025 to Q1 2026, “depending on exactly FF ships the first stage of the rocket “
And Firefly Alpha; when will it start launching from MARS Pad 0A?A second more hypothetical question. What would a Centaur V second stage on the Firefly MLV provide for launch performance? Would this have significant higher payload capability than with the Vira upperstage? (Antares 350)
Quote from: the_big_boot on 01/04/2025 08:00 pmThat’s outdated, the current quote is that Antares 330 is scheduled to launch sometime in Q4 2025 to Q1 2026, “depending on exactly FF ships the first stage of the rocket “Are you a space industry insider passing on information that wasn't formerly publicly available? I ask because all the public sources I've found still point to an August 2025 first flight. For example Salo's US launch schedule (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=8184.msg2652645#msg2652645) and https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7072 show NET August 2025.
Quote from: deltaV on 01/04/2025 09:47 pmQuote from: the_big_boot on 01/04/2025 08:00 pmThat’s outdated, the current quote is that Antares 330 is scheduled to launch sometime in Q4 2025 to Q1 2026, “depending on exactly FF ships the first stage of the rocket “Are you a space industry insider passing on information that wasn't formerly publicly available? I ask because all the public sources I've found still point to an August 2025 first flight. For example Salo's US launch schedule (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=8184.msg2652645#msg2652645) and https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7072 show NET August 2025.From the CNBC article: "MLV (Medium Launch Vehicle), standing at 183 feet, is designed to launch as much as 16,300 kilograms of payload to orbit. The intended successor to Northrop Grumman’s Antares rockets, the pair of companies are co-developing MLV and aim to launch it for the first time in 2026."
Firefly is moving fast to deliver the first booster stage for the Antares 330 to Northrop Grumman early next year, according to Weber. Once the booster is transported to the Antares launch site at Wallops Island, Virginia, technicians will complete assembly and install the rocket's upper stage. Antares 330 is scheduled to make its first launch in late 2025 or early 2026, Weber said.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/07/firefly-is-building-fast-and-breaking-things-on-path-to-a-reusable-rocket/QuoteAntares 330 is scheduled to make its first launch in late 2025 or early 2026, Weber said.
Antares 330 is scheduled to make its first launch in late 2025 or early 2026, Weber said.
Nicole Jordan Martinez, Business Development and Strategy, Launch Vehicles Division, @northropgrumman, says the Antares 330 will fly three times before transitioning to the Medium Launch Vehicle.Both will fly a first stage built by @Firefly_Space and Firefly will provide the upper stage of MLV as well.Aaron Prescott, Sr. Director, Global Commercial Sales, Firefly Aerospace, says they’re “on track” for delivery of the Miranda engines and the A330 first stage, but doesn’t elaborate on a date.
Prescott says they expect to deliver the first A330 first stage to Northrop Grumman this year. Says they’ve completed 52 tests of the Miranda engines, including a full power firing.
Jordan Martinez says the A330’s three flights will be to send Cygnus spacecraft to the ISS.
Jordan Martinez says they looking at launching from Vandenberg for the MLV.Prescott adds that Firefly still has a lease on SLC-20 at Cape Canaveral and says they “hope to bring MLV there.”
MLV flight hardware complete! Our LOX and propellant tanks just rolled off the production line, powered by cutting-edge automation. Watch our Automated Fiber Placement machine and 7-axis Robotic PowerMill turn precision engineering into reality. Stay tuned for more.
Chopsticks style recovery is news to me (although now that you mention it, I think I do recall a hint of that). In the past they mentioned legs. Do you have a source?
