Firefly Alpha Rocket Lost During First Flight

The first flight of the Firefly Alpha Rocket ended prematurely when the rocket experienced an "anomaly" and the flight was aborted just over two minutes after launch.

In a statement released to the media and posted on the Firefly website, the company said that the countdown was nominal and liftoff from Vandenberg AFB in California occurred at 6:59 PM local time. More than two minutes into the flight, the Alpha rocket experienced an anomaly resulting in an early end of the mission.

While all of the mission objectives were not met, Firefly says it did achieve a number of them, including successful first stage ignition, liftoff of the pad, and progression to supersonic speed. A substantial amount of flight data was also obtained.

There were no injuries or collateral damage associated with the anomaly.

According to the company website, Firefly Alpha is designed to address the needs of the burgeoning small–satellite market. At a dedicated mission price of $15M, Alpha combines the highest payload performance with the lowest cost per kilogram to orbit in its vehicle class. Capable of delivering 1 metric ton to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 630 kg to the highly desirable 500 km Sun–Synchronous Orbit (SSO), Alpha will provide launch options for both full vehicle and ride share customers.

When fully operational, the company expects that Alpha will launch twice per month, a launch cadence that will enable customers to fly according to their schedule and to the orbit they desire.

While it’s too early to draw conclusions as to the root cause, an investigation is underway in partnership with the FAA and Vandenberg Space Force Base. Firefly will utilize the data obtained from the test flight and apply it to future missions. The company's engineers are currently combing through thousands of lines of ground and flight system telemetry in order to better understand what occurred.

(Source: Firefly Aerospace news release. Image from YouTube video provided)