Lockheed Martin Demo – Firefly Alpha (FLTA006) – Vandenberg SLC-2W – 2025

[zandr]

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7575

Lockheed Martin Demo 1
Launch Time
NET October, 2024
Rocket  Alpha
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Mission Details
Lockheed Martin Demo 1
First of up to 25 launches of Low Earth Orbit technology demonstration satellites to be built and operated by Lockheed Martin. Launch operation will also again demonstrate responsive space pre-launch operation capabilities.
Low Earth Orbit

Location
SLC-2W, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

[zandr]

https://fireflyspace.com/missions/alpha-flta006/

Mission Details
Mission Name: Alpha FLTA006
Mission Type: Dedicated Commercial Launch
Customer: Lockheed Martin
Vehicle: Alpha FLTA006 Rocket
Launch Site: Firefly SLC-2, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA
Launch Date: 2024

Mission Summary
Alpha FLTA006 is the second mission Firefly is launching for Lockheed Martin and the first of 25 additional missions as part of Firefly's new multi-launch agreement with Lockheed Martin. The mission will be conducted as another responsive space demonstration that includes transporting the payload fairing to the launch pad, mating it to Firefly's Alpha rocket, and completing final launch operations within hours of the scheduled liftoff.
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Payload
Firefly will launch a Lockheed Martin spacecraft into low-Earth orbit. More details to come.

[zandr]

https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martins-new-mid-size-satellite-platform-closer-to-launch/

Lockheed Martin's new mid-size satellite platform closer to launch
The LM 400 is now scheduled to launch in mid 2025 on a Firefly Alpha rocket for a demonstration mission

^{Lockheed Martin's LM 400 satellite bus. Credit: Lockheed Martin Space}

ARLINGTON, Va. — Defense giant Lockheed Martin announced Nov. 19 that its new mid-size satellite platform will make its orbital debut next year aboard a Firefly Aerospace rocket.
The LM 400 satellite bus — roughly the size of a household refrigerator — represents Lockheed's bid to capture a sweet spot in the satellite market: missions requiring more power and payload capacity than small satellites can provide, but not demanding the complexity of traditional large satellites.
"The intent is to show that we've built a system, and the technical risk has been burned down," Jeff Schrader, vice president of strategy and business development at Lockheed Martin Space, said at a news conference.

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Supply chain problems
The planned demonstration mission in low Earth orbit, carrying a communications payload, comes after a three-year development period marked by supply chain disruptions that delayed the platform's original 2023 launch target. The program also faced a setback when its initial launch provider, ABL Space, struggled to get its launch vehicle operational, prompting Lockheed to pivot to Firefly's Alpha rocket under a new multi-launch agreement.
The LM 400 platform was selected by Raytheon for a U.S. Space Force missile-defense program but the company exited the program. Schrader indicated that multiple customers have signed on. He said the bus will be offered in the commercial and government markets.
"We went through a critical design review on a government program already, and this has already been bid on several customer programs," he said. The satellites will be manufactured at Lockheed's facilities in Denver, Colorado. 
This announcement comes on the heels of Lockheed Martin's recent acquisition of small-satellite manufacturer Terran Orbital. Schrader emphasized that Terran Orbital will maintain its independence as a merchant supplier rather than becoming exclusively Lockheed's in-house manufacturer.
"We're also working with them to see what else they can do and what we can do to help them," Schrader added, suggesting potential synergies between the companies' capabilities.

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