Aviation Week reports, “The first stage of a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket being prepared for launch on a commercial mission for Lockheed Martin was destroyed Sept. 29 during preflight testing at the company’s Briggs, Texas, facility. ‘During testing at Firefly’s facility in Briggs Texas, the first stage of Firefly’s Alpha Flight 7 rocket experienced an event that resulted in a loss of the stage,’ the company said in a statement.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: Lost
SpaceX Starship Rocket Is Lost During 7th Test Launch, Causing Debris to Fall
The New York Times reports, “The seventh test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket failed on Thursday as the vehicle’s upper stage experienced a catastrophic malfunction as it headed upward to space. SpaceX was able to achieve some success by repeating the feat of catching the gargantuan Super Heavy booster back at the launchpad.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription Publication)
Video
A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded shortly after launching on its seventh test flight.
(Brut India; YouTube)
SpaceX Falcon 9 Experiences Rare Engine Failure, Loses Starlink Satellites
Via Satellite reports, “SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket suffered an engine failure during a Starlink mission on July 11, losing 20 Starlink satellites and triggering a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation. This is a rare incident for the rocket which hasn’t had a major failure since 2015. The mission took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 7:36 p.m. PT on July 11, carrying 20 direct-to-cell Starlink satellites.”
Full Story (Via Satellite)
Video
SpaceX Experiences Engine Failure In Flight
(The Launch Pad; YouTube)