Firefly Aerospace Announces Alpha Block II Configuration Upgrade for Flight 8

Rhea-AI Summary

Firefly Aerospace (Nasdaq: FLY) announced a Block II configuration upgrade for its Alpha rocket to improve reliability, producibility, and launch operations for commercial, civil, and national security missions. Alpha will increase in length from approximately 97 ft to 104 ft, adopt consolidated in-house batteries and avionics, and use optimized liquid oxygen and RP-1 tanks with improved thermal protection. Alpha Flight 7, launching in the coming weeks, will fly current hardware with several Block II subsystems in shadow mode to gain flight heritage ahead of the full Block II rollout on Alpha Flight 8.

The first stage for Flight 7 has been delivered to Vandenberg Space Force Base and final integration, static fire, and launch preparations are underway.

Positive

• Alpha length increased from ~97 ft to 104 ft
• Consolidated in-house batteries and avionics across spacecraft and rockets
• Optimized LOX and RP-1 tanks with improved thermal protection
• Block II designed to support responsive national security missions

Negative

• None.

News Market Reaction

-8.11%

41 alerts

-8.11% News Effect

-7.8% Trough in 23 hr 39 min

-$405M Valuation Impact

$4.59B Market Cap

0.9x Rel. Volume

On the day this news was published, FLY declined 8.11%, reflecting a notable negative market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -7.8% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 41 alerts that day, indicating elevated trading interest and price volatility. This price movement removed approximately $405M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $4.59B at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Alpha current length: approximately 97 feet Alpha Block II length: 104 feet Alpha Flight 7: Flight 7 +5 more

8 metrics

Alpha current length approximately 97 feet Existing Alpha configuration before Block II upgrade

Alpha Block II length 104 feet Planned Alpha length after Block II upgrade on Flight 8

Alpha Flight 7 Flight 7 Last flight in current configuration; tests Block II subsystems

Alpha Flight 8 Flight 8 First flight with full Block II configuration

Alpha launches to date first six Alpha launches Operational history informing Block II design updates

Hardware tests hundreds of hardware tests Testing basis for reliability and manufacturability improvements

Golden Dome missions Golden Dome Example national security mission supported by Alpha Block II

Vandenberg launch site Vandenberg Space Force Base Location of Flight 7 launch preparations

Market Reality Check

Price: $33.41 Vol: Volume 2,631,248 is at 0....

normal vol

$33.41 Last Close

Volume Volume 2,631,248 is at 0.72x the 20-day average of 3,672,204, indicating subdued trading. normal

Technical Price at $30.44 is trading above the 200-day MA at $24.55, reflecting a pre-existing uptrend into this news.

Peers on Argus

FLY was up 1.1% while peers showed mixed moves: ACHR +0.23%, HXL +1.6%, CAE +0.8...

1 Up

FLY was up 1.1% while peers showed mixed moves: ACHR +0.23%, HXL +1.6%, CAE +0.82%, KRMN +3.1%, and LOAR -1.96%. Momentum scanner only flagged PL at +4.07%, suggesting this upgrade read more as company-specific than a broad sector rotation.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Dec 22 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 22	Index inclusion	Positive	+16.0%	Added to Russell 2000 and 3000 benchmarks, boosting visibility and demand.
Dec 11	Leadership change	Positive	-6.0%	New COO with Boeing background to scale operations and reliability focus.
Dec 10	Lunar payload deal	Positive	+9.5%	Added Volta’s wireless power tech to Blue Ghost Mission 2 lunar lander.
Nov 14	Investor outreach	Neutral	+7.1%	Announced participation in multiple defense and space investor conferences.
Nov 12	Earnings update	Positive	-4.3%	Q3 2025 revenue growth, larger credit facility, and new NASA contracts.

Pattern Detected

Positive operational and strategic news has often seen strong upside, while some positive management and earnings updates have produced negative reactions, indicating mixed follow-through on good news.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, Firefly has reported several notable milestones. Index inclusion in the Russell 2000 and Russell 3000 on Dec 22, 2025 coincided with a 16.02% gain. Lunar mission progress and payload additions on Dec 10, 2025 saw a 9.46% rise. Conference participation in November 2025 aligned with a 7.14% move. By contrast, a COO appointment on Dec 11, 2025 and strong Q3 2025 results on Nov 12, 2025 drew negative reactions, underscoring an uneven response pattern to otherwise constructive updates.

Market Pulse Summary

The stock moved -8.1% in the session following this news. A negative reaction despite this operation...

Analysis

The stock moved -8.1% in the session following this news. A negative reaction despite this operational upgrade would fit prior instances where constructive news, such as Q3 2025 earnings, coincided with downside. The Block II plan for Alpha, including a new 104-foot configuration and in-house avionics, emphasizes reliability and responsiveness, but investors have previously focused on broader risk disclosures and execution concerns. With shares already well off the $73.8 52-week high yet above the $24.55 200-day moving average, any selloff could have reflected caution around launch timelines and capital intensity rather than the technical roadmap itself.

Key Terms

automated fiber placement, avionics, thermal protection system, liquid oxygen, +3 more

7 terms

automated fiber placement technical

"optimizations for rapid manufacturing on Firefly’s Automated Fiber Placement machine"

Automated fiber placement is a robotic manufacturing process that lays down long, thin strips of reinforcing fibers and resin to build strong, lightweight composite parts layer by layer. Like a precise, automated sewing machine stitching threads into a pattern, it produces consistent, high-performance components faster and with less waste than hand layup. Investors care because it can lower production costs, improve product quality, speed up scaling, and affect capital spending and profit margins for manufacturers using advanced composites.

avionics technical

"Replacing off-the-shelf batteries and avionics with a consolidated system built in-house"

Avionics are the electronic systems used on aircraft and spacecraft for navigation, communication, flight control, monitoring and onboard displays — think of them as the vehicle’s brain, dashboard and radio all in one. Investors care because avionics determine safety, certification requirements, upgrade cycles, and maintenance costs; changes or innovations in avionics can affect manufacturer competitiveness, supplier revenue and the timing of deliveries.

thermal protection system technical

"Improving thermal protection system for added reliability and optimizing the liquid oxygen"

A thermal protection system is a set of materials and design features that keep equipment, structures or people safe from extreme heat or cold by controlling temperature, shedding heat, or insulating sensitive parts. Think of it as an insulated coat or heat shield for a machine. For investors, it matters because effective thermal protection affects product safety, regulatory approval, operating life, manufacturing cost and liability risk, all of which influence competitiveness and financial performance.

liquid oxygen technical

"optimizing the liquid oxygen and RP-1 tank configurations to increase stage burn time"

Liquid oxygen is oxygen cooled until it becomes a pale blue, highly concentrated liquid used for medical breathing support, industrial processes, and aerospace. Investors care because it is a regulated, supply-sensitive commodity with specialized storage and transport needs—like refrigerated fuel bottles—so shortages, safety incidents, or cost changes can quickly affect hospitals, manufacturers, and companies that handle or sell it, influencing revenues and regulatory risk.

hypersonic testing technical

"missions, such as hypersonic testing, national security missions including Golden Dome"

Testing of vehicles, materials and systems designed to operate at hypersonic speeds—generally faster than five times the speed of sound—to verify performance, safety and durability under extreme heat, pressure and aerodynamics. For investors, hypersonic testing signals where engineering progress, government contracts and production risks are heading: successful tests can de‑risk programs and boost suppliers, while failures or delays can indicate costly setbacks much like a prototype car failing a high‑speed road test.

static fire technical

"ahead of the static fire and launch."

A static fire is a full-power test where a rocket’s engines are ignited while the vehicle is held firmly on the ground to verify the engines, fuel systems, and ground support equipment work together as expected. For investors it matters because a successful static fire lowers technical and schedule risk—like running a car’s engine on a lift before a long trip—and can boost confidence that a planned launch, delivery, or milestone is more likely to proceed on time.

payload faring technical

"second stage and payload faring ahead of the static fire and launch."

A payload fairing is the protective shell at the nose of a rocket that shields a satellite or other cargo from aerodynamic forces, heat, and debris during launch; it is discarded once the vehicle is high enough. Investors pay attention because fairing design, recovery or discard methods, and reliability affect payload capacity, launch costs, insurance risk and on-time delivery—similar to how a vehicle’s cargo cover protects goods and influences transport costs and reliability.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Block II upgrade designed to increase reliability and expand Alpha’s capability to support responsive launches across the globe

CEDAR PARK, Texas, Jan. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Firefly Aerospace (Nasdaq: FLY), a market leading space and defense technology company, announced a Block II configuration upgrade for its Alpha rocket with a focus on enhancing reliability, streamlining producibility, and improving launch operations to further support commercial, civil, and national security mission demand.

Firefly’s upcoming Alpha Flight 7, targeted to launch in the coming weeks, will be the last flown in the current configuration and will serve as a test flight with multiple Block II subsystems in shadow mode to gain flight heritage and validate lessons learned ahead of the full Block II upgrade on Alpha Flight 8.

“The Block II upgrade has been part of Firefly’s strategic growth plan to meet the evolving needs of the growing global launch market and further supports Firefly’s culture of continuous improvement with a focus on enhanced safety, quality, and reliability,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “Firefly worked closely with customers and incorporated data and lessons learned from our first six Alpha launches and hundreds of hardware tests to make upgrades that increase reliability and manufacturability with consolidated parts, key configuration updates, and stronger structures built with automated machinery.”

In addition to improving reliability and production rate, Block II is designed to expand Alpha’s deployable launch capabilities for critical responsive space missions, such as hypersonic testing, national security missions including Golden Dome, and commercial satellite launches for domestic and international customers.

The planned Block II upgrades set to launch on Alpha Flight 8 include the following:

• Increased length and structural strength: Increasing Alpha’s length from approximately 97 feet to 104 feet with optimizations for rapid manufacturing on Firefly’s Automated Fiber Placement machine and increased strength of all carbon composite structures.
• Consolidated in-house batteries and avionics: Replacing off-the-shelf batteries and avionics with a consolidated system built in-house and used across Firefly’s spacecraft and rockets for increased schedule, reliability, and production efficiencies.
• Optimized propellant tanks: Improving thermal protection system for added reliability and optimizing the liquid oxygen and RP-1 tank configurations to increase stage burn time.
  

Some of these upgrades, including the in-house avionics and thermal improvements, will be tested on Alpha Flight 7. The first stage of the vehicle was recently delivered to Firefly’s launch site at the Vandenberg Space Force Base, and the Firefly team is now conducting final integration with the second stage and payload faring ahead of the static fire and launch.

“In addition to supporting customer objectives, Firefly is utilizing Flight 7 as an opportunity to test key systems ahead of the full Block II upgrade on Flight 8,” said Adam Oakes, Vice President of Launch at Firefly Aerospace. “This approach allows us to accelerate our planned Block II timeline and validate the improvements designed to enable more mass savings, optimize production, and increase reliability across the entire Alpha vehicle. Our flight-proven Reaver and Lightning engines and carbon composite structures continue to be the backbone of this rocket, so that core technology doesn’t change.”

About Firefly Aerospace
Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables government and commercial customers to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for responsive space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with an approximate 24-hour notice. Firefly is also the only company to achieve a fully successful landing on the Moon. Established in 2017, Firefly’s engineering, manufacturing, and test facilities are co-located in central Texas to enable rapid innovation. The company’s small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles are built with common flight-proven technologies to enable speed, reliability, and cost efficiencies for each mission from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. For more information, visit www.fireflyspace.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” including, but not limited to, statements regarding the expected timetable for Alpha Flight 7 and the benefits of the Alpha Block II upgrade and other statements regarding Firefly’s future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, financial conditions, assumptions, future events, or performance that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “would,” “intends,” “believes.” There may also be negative words or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions. Not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation that such plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. These statements are based on management’s current expectations, assumptions, and beliefs concerning future developments, which are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. We cannot assure you that the events reflected in the forward-looking statements will occur; actual events could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. In addition to the risks and uncertainties of our ordinary business operations and conditions in the general economy and markets in which we compete, the forward-looking statements in this press release are subject to the risks, uncertainties, and other factors disclosed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Form S-1 Registration Statement as amended and our Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2025, which risks, uncertainties, and other factors could cause actual events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date as of which such statement is made, and except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements whether because of new information, future events; etc.

Media Contact
press@fireflyspace.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a3aaf6ab-b9fd-4845-b3ed-e300c78faab8
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/70f164bc-436c-4bb3-8bc4-ef047f3602d4

FAQ

What is the Block II upgrade for Firefly Aerospace Alpha (FLY)?

Block II adds length and structural strength, in-house batteries and avionics, and optimized LOX and RP-1 tanks to improve reliability and producibility.

When will Alpha Flight 7 and Flight 8 test Block II features for FLY?

Alpha Flight 7 is targeted to launch in the coming weeks to test some Block II subsystems in shadow mode; full Block II is planned for Alpha Flight 8.

How does the Alpha size change with Firefly's Block II upgrade (FLY)?

Alpha's length is increasing from approximately 97 feet to 104 feet under the Block II configuration.

Which Block II systems will be flight-tested on Alpha Flight 7 for FLY?

In-house avionics and thermal protection improvements are among the Block II subsystems being tested on Flight 7 in shadow mode.

Where is Firefly preparing Alpha Flight 7 for launch (FLY)?

The first stage for Flight 7 was delivered to Vandenberg Space Force Base and integration with the second stage and payload fairing is in progress.