NG teams with Firefly: MLV & Miranda

[TrevorMonty]

Looking like there could be race between MLV and Neutron for maiden launch.
Firefly engine development is going well, launch site is given as they are using Antares and now a success tank test.

[Rik ISS-fan]

The Firefly MLV first stage was planned to be used first on the NGIS Antares 330. Has this changed?
If this hasn't changed, the race to launch first is between Antares 330 and Rocketlab Neutron. There is very likely going to be more US medium launch service providers is a couple of years.

[TrevorMonty]

I think MLV and Antares share same booster. Antares is using exist SRM US which is flight proven at cost of large payload hit but good enough for Cygnus which is NG's main focus.

[AndrewM]

Some updates/status as of October

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/29/firefly-aerospace-ceo-jason-kim-rockets-spacecraft-moon-missions.html [Oct 29]

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.