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The global launch market reached $14.1 billion in 2024 — up 34% since 2021.
| Attribute | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Firefly Aerospace | PLD Space | Interstellar Technologies |
| Country | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇪🇸 Spain | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| Status | Active | In Development | In Development |
| Vehicle class | Small | Small | Small |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX | RP-1 / LOX | Liquid biomethane (LBM) / LOX |
| Reusable | No | Yes | No |
| Stages | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| First flight | 2021 | 2026 | 2027 |
| Payload to LEO | 1,030 kgas of [1]SSO capacity ~630 kg | 1,080 kgas of [1]540 kg to SSO. First flight is a stated plan (targeted Q1 2026 as of this research; not yet confirmed flown) — treat as a target, not a fact. ↑ Best | 250 kgas of [1]500 km SSO. No flight attempts as of this research — follows the company's successful suborbital MOMO sounding-rocket program. A larger orbital vehicle, DECA, was announced January 2023. |
| Payload to GTO | — | — | — |
| Height | 29 mas of [1] | 35.7 mas of [1] ↑ Best | — |
| Liftoff mass | 54 tas of [1] | 69 tas of [1] ↑ Best | — |
| Success rate | 43%as of [2]3/7 full successes (FLTA003 Jul 2023, FLTA005 Dec 2024, FLTA007 Mar 2026) + 2 partial successes + 2 failures through FLTA007 ↑ Best | — | — |
| Total flights | 7as of [2] ↑ Best | — | — |
| Cost / kg LEO | ~$14,500/kgas of [1]Based on ~$15M list price / 1,030 kg LEO ↓ Cheapest | — | — |
| Summary | Firefly Aerospace's two-stage small-lift rocket powered by four Reaver engines at sea level and one Lightning engine in vacuum. Also provides launch services for NASA's CLPS programme (Blue Ghost lander launched on Falcon 9). FLTA007 'Stairway to Seven' succeeded Mar 11, 2026. | PLD Space's orbital small launcher with a recoverable first stage (engine thrust + parachutes), developed with ESA Future Launchers Preparatory Programme support; primary launch site is the Guiana Space Centre. | A liquid-biomethane orbital smallsat launcher from Interstellar Technologies, Japan's most established private rocket startup by suborbital flight heritage, though not yet flown to orbit. |
48 launch vehicles across 10 countries — active, retired, and in development — with primary-source citations from manufacturer user guides and agency press kits. Pure URL state: bookmark or share the link and the comparison reproduces exactly.