Firefly Aerospace, founded by a former SpaceX engineer, said on Thursday it has acquired Spaceflight Inc in a bid to improve its on-orbit service capabilities.
Firefly is a space transportation company that assists customers like NASA and General Atomics with launches, lunar and in-space services, while Spaceflight provides support for satellites and other spacecraft while in orbit.
The deal comes at a time when demand for sending satellites into space remains strong, but U.S. rocket firms are grappling with a tight funding environment due to Virgin Orbit's bankruptcy.
From launching a few satellites on tiny rockets to launching swarms of satellites at once using bigger rockets like SpaceX.
Firefly, based in Texas, is trying to mass-produce its medium-sized rocket, while developing a larger launcher under a new partnership with Northrop Grumman.
Firefly's Blue ghost lander, which will complete the first of two missions to the Moon with NASA next year, will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Firefly is among a handful of U.S. space companies that are battling to launch small satellites into space. In March 2022, it was valued at more than $1 billion when the private equity firm AE Industrial Partners became its controlling shareholder.