Tag

Alpha Rocket

All articles tagged with #alpha rocket

space-exploration1 month ago•54 min saved

Firefly’s Alpha makes orbit on comeback flight, paving the way for a bigger Block II

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket achieved orbit on its first launch since two 2025 mishaps, during the Stairway to Seven mission from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base. First-stage separation occurred at about 2 minutes 40 seconds, and the upper stage placed a Lockheed Martin demonstrator payload into orbit, marking a successful validation of systems ahead of Alpha’s Block II upgrade. The 2025 failures were traced to a hydrocarbon contamination caused by a stage-one integration process error, not a design flaw.

via Space|

#alpha-rocket #block-ii-upgrade #firefly-aerospace

launches-and-spacecraft1 month ago•53 min saved

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.

via Space|

#alpha-rocket #firefly-aerospace #launches-and-spacecraft

business4 months ago•2 min saved

Firefly Aerospace Shares Surge on Revenue Growth and Test Successes

Firefly Aerospace reported strong Q3 sales exceeding expectations and projects significant growth by 2025, with its shares rising after the announcement, though it remains less valued than Rocket Lab despite similar growth prospects and a larger payload capacity with its Alpha rocket.

via Barron's|

#alpha-rocket #business #firefly-aerospace

space6 months ago•3 min saved

Firefly Aerospace's Alpha Rocket Explodes During Testing, Stock Plummets

Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket experienced an explosion during a preflight test in Texas, marking another setback after a previous launch failure in April. The company is assessing the damage and plans to share future updates, with the next launch likely delayed.

via Space|

#alpha-rocket #explosion #firefly-aerospace

space-technology2 years ago•2 min saved

"Uncovering the Cause: Firefly Aerospace's Alpha Rocket's Orbit Mishap Explained"

Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket's December launch failed to achieve the target orbit due to an error in the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) software algorithm, which prevented the necessary pulse commands to the Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters ahead of the stage two engine relight. Despite the software issue, the rocket successfully delivered the payload to low Earth orbit, allowing the mission partner to complete their primary objectives. Firefly is implementing corrective actions to resolve the software issue and expects the Alpha rocket to be ready for another launch in the coming months.

via Space.com|

#alpha-rocket #firefly-aerospace #gnc-software

space-technology2 years ago•2 min saved

"Firefly Alpha Mishap Linked to Software Issue"

A software glitch in the guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) software of Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket prevented the upper stage from completing a second burn during a December launch, leaving its payload, a Lockheed Martin technology demonstration satellite, in a low orbit. The glitch in the GNC software algorithm prevented the system from sending necessary pulse commands to the Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters, and the investigation found that the error led to the mishap. Firefly is correcting the software error and implementing process changes to better detect similar problems in the future, with plans to launch Alpha again in the coming months.

via SpaceNews|

#alpha-rocket #firefly-aerospace #lockheed-martin