SPACE INDEX COMPANIES INSIGHTS SECTORS PRODUCTS NEWS BLOG ANSWERS RESEARCH ABOUT FOR COMPANIES BUILD / 2026.06.04
Firefly Aerospace logo Firefly Aerospace Designs and operates small- and medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and in-space maneuvering vehicles for defense, civil, and commercial space missions vs SpaceX SpaceX logo
HEAD-TO-HEAD1 shared sector
Firefly Aerospace SpaceX
Founded 2014 2002
Headquarters Texas Hawthorne, California
Type public private
Status operating operating
Employees 800 10,493
Total funding $1.3B
Latest round Secondary
Sectors Launch Services, Lunar Services, Space Transportation & Logistics Launch Services, Satellite Communications, Satellite Manufacturing
Products listed 6 9
Federal contracts 20 ($4.90B)
Launches 11 (36%) 810 (83%)
Leaders listed Jason Kim, Darren Ma, Shea Ferring Elon Musk, Gwynne Shotwell, Bret Johnsen
News mentions 22 28
SHARED SECTORS
FREQUENTLY ASKED

How do Firefly Aerospace and SpaceX compare?

Both companies work in Launch Services. Firefly Aerospace was founded in 2014 and SpaceX in 2002.

Which is larger, Firefly Aerospace or SpaceX?

SpaceX reports the larger workforce, with 10,493 employees versus 800.

Which has more US federal contracts, Firefly Aerospace or SpaceX?

SpaceX has been awarded more, with $4.90B across 20 awards.

Which has more launches, Firefly Aerospace or SpaceX?

SpaceX leads with 810 tracked launches (83% success rate).

Numbers refresh on every render against the live Space Index database. Federal contract data from USAspending.gov; launches from LaunchLibrary2.