Alpha was the first Firefly Aerospace rocket to reach orbit.
Firefly Alpha is a two-stage small-lift orbital launch vehicle designed to carry commercial and government payloads. Its first successful orbital flight, called “To The Black,” launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on October 1, 2022, after an earlier 2021 attempt was lost shortly after liftoff.
The rocket uses liquid oxygen and RP-1 propellants. Firefly designed Alpha for the small-satellite market, where customers often seek dedicated or flexible launch opportunities rather than rideshare missions on much larger rockets.
Alpha is distinct from Terran 1, which was developed by Relativity Space and failed to reach orbit on its first launch attempt. Firefly’s later plans include larger launch systems and lunar spacecraft, but Alpha remains the company’s first orbital rocket.