Firefly Aerospace Inc. shares traded lower on Thursday, extending a recent decline as the stock moved closer to its latest support levels. The drop significantly outpaced the broader market, with the Nasdaq down 1.04% and the S&P 500 slipping 0.15%, while the Industrials sector gained 0.13%. This weakness appears company-specific despite a string of NASA-related awards and launch milestones. Firefly Aerospace shares were down 9.60% at $18.93 at the time of publication on Thursday.

NASA Contract Wins

Firefly secured several significant contracts recently. On Jul. 7, the company secured a $13 million NASA subcontract to build an aeroshell for the SkyFall Mars mission, targeted for a late-2028 launch. On Jul. 2, Firefly highlighted a roughly $144 million NASA contract for a Blue Ghost lunar mission planned for 2028. Firefly also reported progress toward launching its Alpha rocket from Sweden's Esrange Space Center beginning in 2028. Additionally, on Jun. 30, NASA announced nearly $600 million in lunar-delivery awards, with Firefly securing $144.2 million. Astrobotic received $297.9 million and Intuitive Machines received $148.3 million.

Sector Pressure and Short Interest

The broader space sector experienced sharp declines driven by corporate debt offerings. AST SpaceMobile Inc. stock fell after announcing the pricing of its $1 billion proposed public offering of Convertible Senior Notes. Dilution fears triggered a sector-wide selloff, dragging down the Procure Space ETF and the WisdomTree Space Economy Fund by 2.36%.

Short interest in Firefly Aerospace increased to 13.19 million shares from 11.84 million in the latest reporting period. About 13.43% of the company’s publicly available shares are now sold short. Based on the average daily volume of 7.68 million shares, traders would need about 1.72 days to cover their positions.

Technical and Analyst Outlook

Firefly trades 25.6% below its 20-day simple moving average of $26.11 and 30.9% below its 200-day SMA of $28.11, confirming continued technical weakness. The 20-day SMA remains below the 50-day SMA, reinforcing the bearish near-term trend. Although the 50-day SMA remains above the 200-day SMA, that longer-term bullish crossover has not produced sustained upside. The Relative Strength Index stands at 29.39, placing the stock in oversold territory. Key resistance sits near $22, while support is around $18.50.

Firefly is scheduled to report earnings on Aug. 11, 2026. Analysts expect a loss of 51 cents per share, improving from a loss of $5.78 a year earlier. Revenue is projected to rise to $87.87 million from $15.55 million. The stock carries a consensus Buy rating with an average price target of $43.17.

Firefly Aerospace (NASDAQ: FLY) will release its second quarter 2026 financial results for the period ended June 30, 2026, on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, after market close. The company, a space and defense technology firm, will host a conference call the same day at 4:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. ET to discuss the results. A live webcast and replay will be accessible in the Investors section of its website.

The financial results news release will be posted under the "News" section of the Investors page. Additional materials supporting the conference call and financial results release will be available under the "Events & Resources" section. Investors and interested parties can access these resources at https://investors.fireflyspace.com .

Firefly Aerospace specializes in responsive space missions, including launching, landing, and operating space systems from Earth to the Moon and beyond. The company is recognized as the first commercial entity to launch a satellite to orbit with approximately 24-hour notice and the first to achieve a successful landing on the Moon. Established in 2017, Firefly's facilities are co-located in central Texas to support rapid innovation and vertical integration for its launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles.

Key Details

For more information about Firefly Aerospace, visit www.fireflyspace.com . Media inquiries can be directed to press@fireflyspace.com , while investor relations contact is investors@fireflyspace.com .