Firefly launched its first rocket from Vandenberg Space Base in California, carrying a number of payloads destined for low Earth orbit. The rocket lifted off as planned and appeared to be doing quite well during the initial part of the launch, before encountering “an anomaly” that unfortunately led to an explosion and total loss of the vehicle before reaching space.
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The rocket that flew today is Firefly's Alpha launch vehicle , the first the company has built and this was the first attempt to launch the spacecraft. To lift off from the platform on the first try is a feat in itself, and the loss of the vehicle appears to have occurred shortly after what is known as "max q," or the moment when the spacecraft experiences the most "aerodynamic stress" before leaving Earth's atmosphere.
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Firefly issued a statement via Twitter shortly after the explosion, which was live-streamed and hosted by Everyday Astronaut, and included official audio and video provided by the company. It added that ground personnel had cleared the platform and surrounding areas to minimize risk and follow all safety protocols.
The company is expected to provide more details soon regarding what happened with the Alpha rocket and why the vehicle was lost.
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Firefly is a private commercial launch company based in Austin, originally founded in 2014 and survived bankruptcy to emerge as Firefly Aerospace in 2017. The company's Alpha rocket is a fully expendable small launch vehicle that can carry about 2,200 kilograms to low orbit and also develops a Beta rocket which, according to information, will be able to carry about 17,000 pounds of useful payload.
