Known for using 3D printed components in its rockets and lunar landers, Firefly Aerospace is now scaling up its ambitions with an $855 million acquisition of defense-tech firm SciTec.While the announcement states the move is a strategic leap into national security markets, it also opens a window into how Firefly might fuse its existing additive manufacturing strengths with software, analytics, and mission data.The acquisition marks Firefly’s most ambitious step since going public in August 2025, expanding its focus from hardware and propulsion to software, sensing, and defense-grade intelligence systems.
From Hardware to Hybrid Firefly stands out for its use of 3D printing in spacecraft.The company designs lighter, stronger parts using composites and modular structures, rather than traditional heavy components.Its teams 3D print engine parts, valves, and smaller thruster components.
The company’s Miranda and Reaver engines, for example, include 3D printed injector heads and combustion chambers, while its lunar landers use printed and machined parts made from advanced aluminum alloys and carbon composites.In its Blue Ghost Mission 1, Firefly used in-house composite structures (legs, struts, landing pads) and is reported to already be integrating 3D printed parts into thrusters, valves, and internal assemblies.The goal is faster iteration, mass saving, and design freedom.
That kind of know-how gives Firefly an advantage when linking its hardware with systems like sensors, controls, and onboard software.So, what the SciTec deal does is extend that integration beyond hardware.It brings in software, data processing, mission analytics, and defense-grade sensing.
The hope is to turn Firefly into a full-stack space-and-defense platform, not just a rocket and lander company.Castheon Supports Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission.What Firefly Gets in SciTec — and Why It Matters The deal is expected to close by the end of 2025.
Once completed, SciTec will become a subsidiary of Firefly, continuing under its current CEO, Jim Lisowski, who will report to Firefly’s CEO, Jason Kim.SciTec is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, and operates five additional facilities located near major space and defense customers.In the year ending June 30, 2025, SciTec generated about $164 million in revenue from contracts with defense, intelligence, and national security agencies.
The company also recently won a $259 million U.S.Space Force contract under the FORGE program, which focuses on ground data processing and missile threat tracking.Kim noted, “The acquisition of SciTec enhances our ability to support a growing number of defense missions and provides us with a significant operational advantage.
SciTec’s mission-proven software and big data processing capabilities provide warfighters with rapid, accurate information to enable informed decisions that protect our homeland from emerging threats.These capabilities significantly enhance our ability to deliver integrated, software-defined solutions for critical national security imperatives, particularly Golden Dome.We are excited to welcome the SciTec team to the Firefly family and look forward to working together to continue to deliver leading-edge solutions to advance our country’s strategic advantage in space.” Basically, the acquisition gives Firefly its own data, analytics, and software stack, removing the need to rely on outside partners.
It also expands the company’s mission capabilities, from remote sensing and autonomous operations to real-time threat detection and space domain awareness.It also strengthens Firefly’s position in defense-space contracts, where software now matters as much as hardware.The deal could also help link Firefly’s sensor-equipped parts with the data they collect in flight, creating a closer loop between design, performance, and production.
The Big Picture This move builds on Firefly’s recent momentum.The company went public on Nasdaq in August 2025, raising about $1 billion in what it called a historic initial public offering (IPO).In its second-quarter results, Firefly reported a $1.3 billion backlog, and announced a new $176.7 million NASA contract to deliver payloads to the Moon’s south pole as part of Blue Ghost Mission 4.
Firefly Aerospace goes public on the Nasdaq.NASA later added another $10 million for additional lunar data from Firefly’s first mission.The company is also preparing to return its Alpha rockets to flight and advancing development of its Eclipse medium-lift vehicle through new engine tests and partnerships.
In his earnings remarks, Kim said, “We’re ramping our flight cadence and have several Alpha vehicles in production to meet the strong demand for launch services, especially for responsive national security missions and our best-in-class customers.”
Images courtesy of Firefly Aerospace
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