Firefly and Northrop Grumman rename their Medium Launch Vehicle Eclipse, with a $50M Northrop investment

Firefly Aerospace/Eclipse

Northrop Grumman invested $50 million in Firefly Aerospace and jointly named their medium-lift vehicle Eclipse. It draws on technology from Northrop's Antares and Firefly's Alpha, with a payload fairing 5.4 meters in diameter. Eclipse can deliver 16,300 kg to low Earth orbit and is planned to first launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, as early as 2026.

• $50 million Northrop investment advances development and production.
• 16,300 kg lift capacity to LEO; 3,200 kg to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
• 5.4-meter payload fairing; combines Antares and Alpha heritage.
• First launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, targeted for 2026; supports resupply and national security missions.