Firefly Alpha returns to flight with 'Stairway to Seven' test from Vandenberg

Firefly Aerospace is bringing its Alpha rocket back to flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base with the Stairway to Seven test mission, a two-stage launch to validate first- and second-stage performance ahead of its Block II upgrade; no operational payload will be flown. The lift-off window opens about 7:50 p.m. ET today (4:50 p.m. local), with NASASpaceflight and Space.com streaming the event; this flight follows Alpha's 2024 mishaps—a booster split and an upper-stage propellant loss—after which the FAA cleared Alpha to resume flights.