Alpha

Status

Partial Failure

Fly the Lightning

Launch Time
Fri Dec 22, 2023 17:32 UTC

Stage 2 2nd burn suffered problems and did not deliver the payload to its precise target orbit. Communication to the spacecraft has been established and mission operations are now underway.

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Rocket

Alpha

Image Credit: Firefly Aerospace

Firefly

Status: Active

Price: $15.0 million

Liftoff Thrust: 801 kN

Payload to LEO: 1,030 kg

Stages: 2

Strap-ons: 0

Rocket Height: 29.48 m

Fairing Diameter: 2.2 m

Fairing Height: 5.0 m

Details

Mission Details

Fly the Lightning

Firefly’s Alpha rocket will launch Lockheed Martin’s new wideband Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) technology integrated on a Terran Orbital Nebula satellite bus. Developed within Lockheed Martin Space’s Ignite organization using a proprietary design, the ESA payload will demonstrate faster on-orbit sensor calibration to deliver rapid capabilities to U.S. warfighters. The ESA sensor is expected to calibrate in a fraction of the time it takes to operationalize traditional on-orbit sensors, which historically can take months to be powered on, fully calibrated and ready to perform their mission.

Payloads: 1

Retrograde Low Earth Orbit

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Location

SLC-2W, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

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Stats

2023

211th orbital launch attempt

4th mission

2nd mission of 2023