Key Takeaways
- Firefly Aerospace awards launch services agreement to Surrey Satellite Technology Limited.
- SSTL will use the Firefly Alpha launch vehicle.
- Launches to begin in early 2020.
- Eight Alpha flights planned for 2020, eighteen in 2021.
Firefly Aerospace has awarded a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) to Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), allowing the small satellite company to utilize the Firefly Alpha launch vehicle. The agreement, announced June 4, 2018, marks the first time SSTL will use the Alpha launch vehicle, with launches set to begin in early 2020. According to Firefly CEO Dr. Tom Markusic, the partnership assures SSTL customers convenient and dependable access to space, with certainty of launch opportunities. This partnership may signal a growing trend towards small satellite launches and the development of more affordable access to space.