Firefly’s Alpha Rocket Crashes Into Pacific Ocean After Failing to Reach Orbit

A Firefly Aerospace rocket failed to deliver its payload to orbit on Tuesday, creating a cloud of debris in the sky before falling back down toward an ocean crash. Firefly launched its Alpha rocket on April 29 at 9:37 a.m. ET, a day later than its initial launch date due to an issue with ground support equipment. Shortly after liftoff, a mishap during the separation of the rocket’s first stage damaged an engine nozzle, severely reducing the rocket’s thrust, according to a statement by Firefly. As a result, the rocket’s upper stage failed to reach its orbital velocity and deliver the satellite to its designated orbit. The rocket reached an altitude of around 198 miles (320 kilometers) before crashing down in the Pacific Ocean in a cleared zone north of Antarctica. The company is still investigating the root cause of the anomaly and will carry out an investigation into the launch mishap. Firefly’s Alpha rocket was carrying a technology demonstration satellite for Lockheed Martin, whic ... Read full article.