Core Viewpoint - Firefly Aerospace successfully went public on NASDAQ, with its stock price surging 34.11% on the first day, reaching $60.35, which is $15.35 above the offering price, resulting in a market capitalization of approximately $8.5 billion [1] Group 1: IPO Details - The offering price was set at $45 per share, higher than the previously adjusted range of $41 to $43, and significantly above the initial estimate of $35 to $39 [1] - The IPO raised approximately $868 million, making Firefly the third space company to go public this year, following Voyager Technologies and Karman Holdings [1] Group 2: Industry Context - The space technology sector has been heating up, largely due to SpaceX attracting significant funding and government contracts, with Firefly being a beneficiary of this trend [1] - Firefly specializes in the development and manufacturing of rockets and lunar landers, with notable clients including Lockheed Martin and L3Harris Technologies [1] Group 3: Financial Performance - For the latest quarter, Firefly reported revenue of $55.9 million, a year-over-year increase of over six times from $8.3 million in the same quarter last year [2] - However, the net loss widened to $60.1 million, compared to a net loss of $52.8 million in the same period last year [2] Group 4: Leadership and Ownership - Firefly is primarily owned by AE Industrial Partners, a private equity firm focused on defense and aerospace, which holds over 41% of the company and controls its operations through the board [2] - Five out of the nine members of Firefly's board come from AE Industrial Partners [2]