UPDATE (19:10) – A Firefly Alpha rocket launched from the Vandenberg space force base on Thursday evening exploded about 2 minutes and 30 seconds after takeoff.
Alpha experienced an anomaly during the first stage of ascent that resulted in the loss of the vehicle. As we gather more information, additional details will be provided.
– Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) September 3, 2021
The rocket was launched at 6:59 p.m.
It was the second attempt of the night.
The first attempted launch scheduled for 6 p.m. was aborted.
___
(3:29 pm) – Firefly Aerospace plans to launch its Alpha rocket from the Vandenberg space force base for the first time Thursday evening.
The launch window is between 6pm and 10pm
The company broadcasts the launch live on YouTube from 60 minutes before the release:
Firefly said the main purpose of Thursday’s inaugural launch is to make sure its employees are on the right track, using the right input and working toward the goal of putting other projects in space.
“The real purpose of this mission is to get into space, get as much data as we can uphill, so we can get back on the next flight and do it even better,” said Lauren Lyons, chief operating officer of Firefly Aerospace Official .
Two weeks ago, the company conducted a static fire test of the launch vehicle, which officials said was a success.
The Firefly Alpha rocket is designed to meet the needs of the small satellite market. The company expects to offer Alpha releases twice a month.
Thursday’s launch will deliver a payload called DREAM or the mission dedicated to the accelerator of research and education, a Firefly initiative to send free academic and educational loads into space.
Firefly has another rocket under development called Beta, in addition to a reusable rocket aircraft called Gamma and a spacecraft designed to carry payloads beyond the range of typical launch vehicles. Its lunar lander Blue Ghost was selected by NASA to deliver a payload to the moon in 2023.