FAILURE
Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)
Satellites
N/A
Orbit
LEO
Company: Firefly Aerospace
Status: Launch Failure
Fail Reason 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.
Launch date: April 29, 2025, 1:37 p.m. UTC
Rocket: Firefly Alpha
Location: Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Type: Technology
Target: Low Earth Orbit
