Firefly Alpha Explodes Shortly After Liftoff Written 3 September 2021
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The first rocket launched by private aerospace company Firefly explodes just minutes after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. | Credit: YouTube screengrab; News Alert; YouTube
Space News reports that Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket exploded two and a half minutes after its first launch Thursday. Firefly tweeted, “Alpha experienced an anomaly during first stage ascent that resulted in the loss of the vehicle.” Alpha was expected to reach supersonic speed 67 seconds after liftoff, but the rocket did not reach Mach One until 2:20 after liftoff. Alpha exploded 10 seconds after breaking the sound barrier.
Full Story (SpaceNews)