Photo: Jacob Rendon
Firefly Aerospace announced a leadership change after business hours this evening.
Firefly Aerospace’s Board of Directors announced that Bill Weber is no longer serving as CEO of the company, effective immediately. Firefly board member Peter Schumacher will serve as interim CEO while the board initiates a search. Schumacher previously served in this role at Firefly and will lead the company’s more than 700 passionate, hardworking, and talented professionals. A Transition Committee, led by board member and aerospace industry veteran Chris Emerson, will support Schumacher and the Firefly team.
On July 15, reporter Tim Fernholz of the online news site Payload reported
Rocket-maker Firefly Aerospace is investigating allegations of an inappropriate relationship between CEO Bill Weber and a female employee after a departing executive reported the situation to the board.
Lloyd McMullen, a VP of IT at the firm, resigned this month because he lost confidence in leadership at the company after reporting the issue. Contacted by Payload, McMullen declined to comment.
“Firefly was made aware of the allegations from a former employee at the same time they were reported to Payload,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “We are looking into them. Our initial findings do not support any facts behind this speculation.”
Tim Fernholz, Firefly Aerospace Investigates CEO’s Alleged Inappropriate Relationship, Payload, July 15, 2024
Despite the earlier statement, Weber was removed as CEO. The nature of the allegations has not been disclosed.
Firefly Aerospace At A Glance
Firefly is a privately held firm based near Austin, Texas, whose Alpha booster performed its first partially successful orbital launch on October 1, 2022. While that launch achieved orbit and deployed 7 satellites, due to the lower-than-planned final deployment orbit, most satellites re-entered approximately a week after launch. In September of 2023, Firefly successfully completed a rapid response mission for the Department of Defense when it placed a satellite into orbit after only a brief advanced notification from the DoD. Its last orbital launch was July 4th, when it successfully launched eight cubesats aboard the ELaNa 43 mission for NASA.
Other major activities for Firefly is as a subcontractor for Northrup Grumman as it develops a new domestically-built first stage for its Antares 330 rocket.
“We will first develop a fully domestic version of our Antares rocket, the Antares 330, for Cygnus space station commercial resupply services, followed by an entirely new medium class launch vehicle,” said Scott Lehr, vice president and general manager, launch and missile defense systems, Northrop Grumman. “Northrop Grumman and Firefly have been working on a combined strategy and technical development plan to meet current and future launch requirements.”
“Firefly’s propulsion technology utilizes the same propellants as the current Antares rocket, which minimizes launch site upgrades. The Antares 330 will utilize seven of Firefly’s Miranda engines and leverage its composites technology for the first stage structures and tanks, while Northrop Grumman provides its proven avionics and software, upper-stage structures and Castor 30XL motor, as well as proven vehicle integration and launch pad operations. This new stage will also significantly increase Antares mass to orbit capability.
“Firefly prides itself on being a disrupter in the new space industry and collaborating with a proven space pioneer like Northrop Grumman will help us continue that disruption,” said Peter Schumacher, interim CEO, Firefly.
Northrup Grumman, Northrop Grumman Teams with Firefly Aerospace to Develop Antares Rocket Upgrade and New Medium Launch Vehicle, August 8, 2022
Firefly is also developing a lunar lander for the NASA CLPS program, which it calls Blue Ghost. The first flight of that spacecraft is scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year.
Firefly’s main competitors are currently Rocket Lab and, to some degree, SpaceX. However, Firefly is currently competing in the small launch laboratory as it works to develop a medium-lift vehicle.
