Eclipse, previously known as Firefly Beta and the Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV), is a two-stage, partially reusable medium-lift launch vehicle being jointly developed by Firefly Aerospace and Northrop Grumman. Formally announced in 2022, the rocket is designed to be a successor to Northrop Grumman's Antares launch vehicle, able to be partially reused and can launch 16,300 kg (35,900 lb) into low Earth orbit. Currently, the maiden launch of Eclipse is slated for 2027.[2]
History
Firefly Beta
Eclipse can be traced back to the late 2010s, following Firefly Space Systems' 2017 liquidation and reestablishment as Firefly Aerospace. It was originally conceptualized as Firefly Beta, following a naming scheme previously established by the Firefly Alpha small-lift