Firefly’s Medium Launch Vehicle Has a New Name

Northrop Grumman invests $50 million to advance Firefly’s medium launch vehicle (MLV), now called Eclipse.

Jack Daleo

Monday, June 02, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

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Jack Daleo

Northrop Grumman will invest $50 million to help Firefly develop its newly named Eclipse medium-lift launch vehicle. [Courtesy: Firefly Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

Firefly Aerospace announced a $50 million investment from Northrop Grumman to advance its new medium launch vehicle, now officially named Eclipse.
Eclipse, co-developed with Northrop Grumman, is designed to launch nearly 36,000 pounds to low-Earth orbit, offering an affordable option for medium-sized payloads.
Anticipated to debut as early as 2026, Eclipse aims to serve national security and space station resupply missions, including U.S. government programs, with plans for eventual full reusability.

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Firefly Aerospace on Thursday announced that Northrop Grumman invested $50 million to support the development of its medium launch vehicle (MLV), which now has an official name: Eclipse.

Northrop is codeveloping Eclipse with Firefly—which provides the first stage of its Antares 300 family of medium-lift launch vehicles—to fill niches such as national security and space station resupply. Built with components seen on Antares and Firefly’s less powerful Alpha, Eclipse promises to launch nearly 36,000 pounds of payload to low-Earth orbit (LEO).