Firefly Extends Lockheed to 25 Alpha Flights, Rocket Lab Narrows Neutron 2026 Window, SciTec Wins $94M Radar Deal

[ 01 ]

The briefing

Firefly Aerospace anchored the day with a two-year extension of its multi-launch agreement with Lockheed Martin, covering up to 25 dedicated Alpha Block II flights through 2031, and a separate $94 million Space Force other-transaction agreement to its SciTec subsidiary for ground-based radar digitization. On the second-quarter call, CEO Jason Kim said Alpha production is at an all-time high but pushed the Block II debut on Alpha Flight 8 into the fourth quarter, with only three Alpha missions now expected this year and the majority of the 2027 manifest already sold.

Rocket Lab followed a record $234 million quarter by warning that the window for a first Neutron launch in 2026 is narrowing, with CEO Peter Beck telling investors the vehicle is still on track to reach the pad in Q4 but that integrated stage and static-fire testing will decide whether it flies this year, citing Blue Origin's May New Glenn pad explosion as a cautionary reference.

SpaceX's push into missile defense hardened, with about $8.1 billion tallied in recent Space Force awards spanning the $2.29 billion Space Data Network backbone, the $4.16 billion AMTI constellation, and $1.6 billion for 18 Falcon 9 National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 launches. In Europe, Eutelsat reported OneWeb revenue up 69.5% while geostationary orbit (GEO) broadband slipped 6.6%, signed its first OneWeb hosted-payload deal, and set $5.07 billion of capex through 2034. NASA said its review keeps the Space Reactor 1 Freedom nuclear-electric propulsion demonstration on track for a late-2028 launch at a preliminary $2.1 billion cost.

[ 02 / 6 items ]

The headlines

Firefly extends Lockheed Martin deal to 25 Alpha Block II flights through 2031

FLY LMT

Firefly Aerospace announced a two-year extension of its multi-launch agreement with Lockheed Martin, covering up to 25 dedicated Alpha Block II launches through 2031 from Vandenberg. CEO Jason Kim said the upgraded Block II configuration is designed for a higher flight rate, tactically responsive missions, and hypersonic testing, and Firefly is separately working with Lockheed and Seagate Space on sea-based launch concepts using Seagate's Gateway offshore platform.

Firefly slips Alpha Block II debut into Q4 with Alpha Flight 8

FLY

On its Q2 earnings call, Firefly said Alpha Flight 8, the first Alpha Block II mission, is now expected in the fourth quarter of 2026 after previously targeting late summer, with acceptance testing, delivery to Vandenberg, static fire and payload integration still ahead. CEO Jason Kim said the company now plans just three Alpha launches this year and has sold the majority of its 2027 manifest, and Firefly booked a second hypersonic task order for Alpha from a confidential customer.

Firefly's SciTec wins $94M Space Force radar digitization deal

FLY

SciTec, a wholly owned Firefly Aerospace subsidiary, received a $93.7 million firm-fixed-price other-transaction agreement from Space Systems Command to develop a common architecture for modernizing U.S. ground-based radars. SciTec president David Simenc said the work will upgrade radar infrastructure while lowering total lifecycle costs, extending SciTec's existing role in missile-warning, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and space-domain-awareness software into hardware-adjacent modernization.

Rocket Lab says 2026 Neutron debut window is narrowing

SpaceX RKLB

Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck told investors on the Q2 call that the chances of launching Neutron before year-end are narrowing, even as the medium-lift reusable rocket remains on target for delivery to the pad in Q4 2026. Beck said integrated stage testing and static fires will be the riskiest milestone, invoking Blue Origin's May New Glenn pad explosion, and framed timing as a trade against readiness for high-pace production once the vehicle enters service.

SpaceX deepens missile-defense footprint with roughly $8.1B in recent awards

SpaceX

SpaceX's expanding Pentagon role now totals about $8.1 billion in recent Space Force awards: $2.29 billion for the initial Space Data Network backbone in low Earth orbit, $4.16 billion to build the initial constellation for the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator program, and $1.6 billion for 18 Falcon 9 NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 launches through 2027. SpaceX identified Starshield as a rapidly growing government business in its first public quarterly report, citing over $6 billion in multiyear awards for military communications and sensing networks.

Eutelsat lifts OneWeb revenue 69.5% and commits $5.07B in capex to 2034

ETL

Eutelsat reported OneWeb revenue up 69.5% for the year ended June 30, with the low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation now producing 25% of total revenue of €1.236 billion ($1.43 billion), while GEO broadband connectivity slipped 6.6%. The operator signed its first OneWeb hosted-payload deal, said OneWeb Gen 1 will operate until 2034 before IRIS² takes over, and outlined $5.07 billion in capex through 2034 to support the transition, with adjusted EBITDA margin declining to 51.2% of revenue.

[ 03 / +36 / -10 ]

Market pulse

Archived snapshot from this edition. Prices and moves are not live.

Gainers+36

Decliners-10

Big mover YSS-11.9%

SPCE: spce-20260812 FALSE 0001706946 0001706946 2026-08-12 2026-08-12 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 ____________________________ FORM 8-K.

Asset	Snapshot	Move
LUNRIntuitive Machines	$19.56	+11.4%
SPCEVirgin Galactic	$3.325	+5.9%
PKEPark Aerospace	$39.33	+5.5%
YSSYork Space Systems	$10.14	-11.9%
TSATTelesat	$51.55	-2.0%
SIDUSidus Space	$2.5	-1.6%

[ 04 / 6 tracked ]

Launch watch

Schedule and countdowns as recorded in the 2026-08-12 edition.

T-3D 22H

Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-366

SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5 · SLC-4E · Vandenberg SFB · LEO

T-4D 01H

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Globalstar 2-R Mission 1 (x 9)

SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5 · SLC-40 · Cape Canaveral SFS · LEO

T-4D 04H

Long March 12

CASC · Long March 12 · Commercial LC-2 · Wenchang Space Launch Site

T-5D 03H

Long March 2C

CASC · Long March 2C · LC-9 · Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center

T-7D 00H

Zhuque-3 | Flight 2

LandSpace · Zhuque-3 · Launch Area 96B · Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center · LEO

T-7D 02H

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-50

SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5 · SLC-4E · Vandenberg SFB · LEO

[ 05 / 8 in window ]

Filings

424B3

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. · 424B3

2026-08-11 · Firefly Aerospace filed a 424B3 supplement covering up to 11,111,116 shares held by selling securityholders that received the stock as consideration in Firefly's acquisition of SciTec Innovations, updating the December 19, 2025 prospectus with the Q2 10-Q.

10-Q

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. · 10-Q

2026-08-11 · Firefly Aerospace filed its Q2 10-Q, showing 167.4 million shares outstanding as of August 6 and a $25.8 million year-on-year increase in Q2 R&D costs tied mainly to Alpha Block II production ramp and SciTec-related depreciation.

8-K

RBC Bearings Incorporated · 8-K

2026-08-11 · RBC Bearings disclosed that its Dodge Industrial subsidiary acquired the business assets of disc-coupling maker PSC Couplings for $24.2 million in cash.

8-K

Astronics Corporation · 8-K

2026-08-11 · Astronics Corporation furnished a Q2 2026 earnings press release via 8-K covering results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026.

8-K

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. · 8-K

2026-08-11 · Firefly Aerospace furnished its Q2 2026 financial results press release with an 8-K, corresponding to the earnings update in which management pushed the Alpha Block II debut into Q4 and cited an all-time-high production rate.

8-K

AMETEK, Inc. · 8-K

2026-08-11 · AMETEK increased the maximum aggregate face amount of its short-term commercial paper program from $2.3 billion to $3.5 billion, expanding funding flexibility for acquisitions with its revolving credit facility as a liquidity backstop.

[ End of Issue 053 ]

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