Friday, September 03, 2021

CORPORATIONS IN SPACE
Rocket 'terminated' in fiery explosion over Pacific Ocean


VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — A privately designed, unmanned rocket built to carry satellites was destroyed in an explosive fireball after suffering an “anomaly" off the California coast during its first attempt at reaching Earth's orbit.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket was “terminated" over the Pacific Ocean shortly after its 6:59 p.m. Thursday liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base, according to a base statement. Video from the San Luis Obispo Tribune showed the explosion.

Firefly said an “anomaly” occurred during the first-stage ascent that “resulted in the loss of the vehicle” about two minutes, 30 seconds into the flight. Vandenberg said a team of investigators will try to determine what caused the failure.

The rocket was carrying a payload called DREAM, or the Dedicated Research and Education Accelerator Mission. It consisted of items from schools and other institutions, including small satellites and several demonstration spacecraft.

“While we did not meet all of our mission objectives, we did achieve a number of them: successful first stage ignition, liftoff of the pad, progression to supersonic speed, and we obtained a substantial amount of flight data," Firefly said in a statement. The information will be applied to future missions.





A rocket launched by Firefly Aerospace, the latest entrant in the New Space sector, is seen exploding minutes after lifting off from the central California coast on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. The Alpha rocket was "terminated" over the Pacific Ocean shortly after its 6:59 p.m. liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base, according to a base statement. (Len Wood/For The Santa Maria Times via AP)

Austin, Texas-based Firefly is developing various launch and space vehicles, including a lunar lander. Its Alpha rocket was designed to target the growing market for launching small satellites into Earth orbit.

Standing 95 feet (26 meters) high, the two-stage Alpha is designed to carry up to 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of payload into low orbit. The company wants to be capable of launching Alphas twice a month. Launches would have a starting price of $15 million, according to Firefly.

Firefly will have to catch up with two Long Beach, California-based companies that are ahead in the small satellite launch sector.

Rocket Lab has put 105 satellites into orbit with multiple launches from a site in New Zealand and is developing another launch complex in the U.S.

Virgin Orbit has put 17 satellites into space with two successful flights of its air-launched LauncherOne rocket, which is released from beneath the wing of a modified Boeing 747.

The Associated Press

Firefly Aerospace rocket explodes minutes after first launch


Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket completes a test firing in Cedar Park, Texas, in October. Photo courtesy of Firefly Aerospace

Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Texas-based Firefly Aerospace's first rocket launch attempt ended in an explosion minutes after liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday night.

Videos and photos posted online showed an orange fireball about two minutes after liftoff of the Firefly Alpha rocket at 9:59 p.m. EDT. White smoke trailed as a piece of debris as it fell into the Pacific Ocean.


A Firefly Alpha rocket, built by Texas-based Firefly Aerospace, lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday night. Photo courtesy of Firefly Aerospace

The U.S. Space Force terminated the flight after a problem that wasn't immediately known or disclosed, according to a Space Force news release. Such flight terminations are done to prevent rockets from flying outside the designated launch path.

The announcement also said debris could be floating in the ocean and may wash ashore.

"A team of investigators has determined that any debris from the rocket should be considered unsafe," according to the release.

The company acknowledged the incident, which it called an anomaly, quickly on Twitter, and posted a statement.

"While it's too early to draw conclusions as to the root cause, we will be diligent in our investigation," Firefly Aerospace said.

The rocket had been carrying experiments for Firefly and for several universities.

Despite losing the rocket, the company said it gained data about the rocket as it reached supersonic speed. Alpha, at 95 feet tall, is designed to place payloads into orbit.


Firefly, founded in 2014, is led by CEO Tom Markusic, a rocket propulsion scientist who worked for NASA, Elon Musk's SpaceXJeff BezosBlue Origin and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.

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