Space News reported that Firefly Aerospace announced Sunday its Alpha rocket failed “when one of its first-stage engines shut down seconds after liftoff.”
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Tag: Vandenberg
Firefly Alpha Explodes Shortly After Liftoff
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)