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Firefly AerospaceLaunch FailureTechnologyFirefly Alpha · Message in a Booster
Launched 2025-04-29 13:37 UTCSpace Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Problem during stage separation and second stage ignition caused disintegration of the separated 1st stage and the loss of the Lightning engine nozzle extension on the 2nd stage, substantially reducing the engine’s thrust. 2nd stage reached 320 km in altitude but did not reach orbital velocity, eventually impacted the Pacific Ocean north of Antarctica.
From Launch Library 2 · confirmed as a launch failure
Launch failure
Target: Low Earth Orbit
Firefly Alpha lifted off with FLTA006 (Message in a Booster), but the launch failed.
Next
Waiting on the Cause
No cause has been given yet. What Firefly Aerospace finds will be added here, and to the updates below.
Planned times, from liftoff at . The result is at the top of the page.
Sixth flight of the Firefly Alpha small satellite launcher, launching the demonstration mission for Lockheed Martin's new LM400 satellite bus, which will carry a communications payload. The satellite bus is customizable to support different missions, including remote sensing, communications, imagery and radar Earth observations. It can also support different kinds of orbits and launch configurations.
Launch Provider
Commercial · United States of America · Founded 2014 · CEO Peter Schumacher
Firefly Aerospace is an American private aerospace firm based in Austin, Texas, that develops small and medium-sized launch vehicles for commercial launches to orbit.
Launches
7
Successful
4
57%
Upcoming
7
scheduled
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Launch failure confirmed.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Liftoff!
hitura-nobad
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Official Webcast by Firefly Aerospace has started
Launch Library 2
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Confirmed rescheduling to April 29.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Scrubbed for the day.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Recycled for end of launch window.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Hold at T-4:44.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Countdown resumed.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Hold at T-8 minutes.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Official Webcast by Firefly Aerospace has started
Launch Library 2
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1 day delay due to weather.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Added weather forecast.
Cosmic_Penguin
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GO for launch.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Delayed to NET April 27 per NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin
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NET April 18 per new NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Reverted back to NET April with cancellation of NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin
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NET April 4 per NOTAMs, TBC.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Reverted back to NET March with cancellation of NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin
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NET March 30, TBC.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Reverted back to NET March TBD with cancellations of NOTAMs for March 26/27.
Cosmic_Penguin
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NET March 26.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Delayed due to range conflict.
Cosmic_Penguin
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GO for launch.
Cosmic_Penguin
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NET mid-March.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Launch order swapped with that of TacSat.
Cosmic_Penguin
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Added launch.
Cosmic_Penguin
Height
29.6m
Diameter
1.8m
To low Earth orbit
1,000kg
Liftoff thrust
736kN
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