Launch failure confirmed.
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Firefly AerospaceLaunch Failure
FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)
Firefly Alpha
Historical mission record
This page records Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster) and its reported outcome: Launch Failure. The date above is a historical record.
Source record updated . This is a source update, not a confirmed launch time.
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The latest on this mission
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Mission status
Launch Failure
Status reported by the mission data provider.
LAUNCH SITEVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Mission
Sixth flight of the Firefly Alpha small satellite launcher, launching the demonstration mission for Lockheed Martin's new LM400 satellite bus, which will carry a communications payload. The satellite bus is customizable to support different missions, including remote sensing, communications, imagery and radar Earth observations. It can also support different kinds of orbits and launch configurations.
- Launch vehicle
- Firefly Alpha
- Mission type
- Technology
- Destination orbit
- Low Earth Orbit
- Launch pad
- Space Launch Complex 2W
- Provider
- Firefly Aerospace
The vehicle
Published configuration and flight history.
Launch vehicle
Firefly Alpha
Firefly Alpha (Firefly α) is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle developed by the American aerospace company Firefly Aerospace to cover the commercial small satellite launch market. Alpha is intended to provide launch options for both full vehicle and ride share customers.
- Height
- 29.6 m
- Diameter
- 1.82 m
- Stages
- 2
- Recorded launches
- 6
- First flight
- 2021-09-03
Recorded timing
This is a mission record, not an upcoming calendar appointment.
52 minute windowPublished target
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WINDOW CLOSES
Target ·
The target marker shows its position within the published window. The schedule may change before launch.
Mission update
Problem during stage separation and second stage ignition caused disintegration of the separated 1st stage and the loss of the Lightning engine nozzle extension on the 2nd stage, substantially reducing the engine’s thrust. 2nd stage reached 320 km in altitude but did not reach orbital velocity, eventually impacted the Pacific Ocean north of Antarctica.
Flight timeline
Planned sequence, not live telemetry. Times are relative to the launch target.
- T−00:00:02
Ignition
- T+00:00:00
Liftoff
- T+00:00:56
Supersonic
- T+00:01:06
Max-Q
- T+00:02:33
MECO
- T+00:02:37
Stage 2 Separation
Show the full sequence (10 events)
- T+00:02:39
SES
- T+00:02:58
Fairing Separation
- T+00:08:28
SECO
- T+00:12:42
Payload Separation
Launch site & orbit
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
The mission in perspective
Launch site & orbit
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Coverage & sources
Links supplied by the mission data provider.
Coverage and times may change.
Mission coverage
Alpha FLTA006 "Message In A Booster" ↗Further reading
Launch Library ↗Explore on iPhone
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