Latest news with #Stage2Lightning
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California rocket launch: Firefly to investigate 'mishap' during test for Lockheed Martin
A rocket launch from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base did not go to plan after the spacecraft experienced a midair "mishap." Firefly Aerospace, the Texas-based spaceflight company that manufactured the rocket in question, said the issue prevented a prototype satellite owned by Lockheed Martin from reaching orbit following an early-morning takeoff April 29. Instead, the satellite crashed into the Pacific Ocean with part of the rocket. The failed mission was Firefly's sixth flight of its Alpha rocket, which it is developing for commercial launches to compete in a market long dominated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. The company also achieved a major victory earlier in 2025 when it landed a spacecraft on the moon in March as part of a mission funded by NASA. Firefly provided a live stream of the Tuesday, April 29, launch as its Alpha rocket ascended into low-Earth orbit following a takeoff at 6:37 a.m. PT from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California. But during the webcast, several particles could be seen flying off the rocket during stage separation as the second stage propelled Lockheed's satellite further into space, Reuters reported. While the Lockheed satellite remained intact, a camera on the second stage showed its engine firing without its nozzle. The mission, known as "message in a booster," was the first of a planned 25 launches in the next five years under an agreement between Firefly and Lockheed Martin. The Alpha rocket's payload was a Lockheed demonstration satellite called LM 400 Technology Demonstrator, which is meant to advance space technologies for both commercial and military customers, like the Pentagon. 'Our customers have told us they need rapid advancement of new mission capabilities,' Bob Behnken, a director at Lockheed Martin Space, said in a statement at the time. 'This agreement with Firefly further diversifies our access to space, allowing us to continue quickly flight demonstrating the cutting-edge technology we are developing for them." The Alpha rocket itself is classified as a small-lift launch vehicle capable of carrying more than 2,200 pounds of cargo to orbit. Firefly said in a mission update that it will investigate the cause of the "mishap" with Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Space Force and the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial launches. Engineers believe the problem occurred during separation of Alpha's core stage booster with its second stage less than three minutes into the flight. The faulty separation "impacted the Stage 2 Lightning engine nozzle, putting the vehicle in a lower than planned orbit," Firefly wrote in an update on social media site X. In an afternoon update, Firefly said the loss of the nozzle reduced the engine's thrust, preventing the the upper stage from reaching orbit and causing it to crash into the Pacific Ocean north of Antarctica with the Lockheed satellite. Firefly made a name for itself earlier this year when its Blue Ghost lunar lander became the second-ever commercial spacecraft to make it to the surface of the moon. After launching Jan. 15, 2025, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spacecraft managed to touch down about six weeks later on March 3 on the moon's Earth-facing side on a mission to deploy 10 NASA science instruments. The ensuing 14 days of surface operations were meant to help the U.S. space agency pave the way for humans to return in the years ahead under its Artemis program. This article has been updated to add new information. Contributing: Reuters Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Vandenberg launch: Firefly to investigate 'mishap' during rocket test
Straits Times
29-04-2025
- Science
- Straits Times
Problem with Firefly's Alpha rocket puts Lockheed satellite in shallow orbit
WASHINGTON - Firefly Aerospace said the sixth mission of its Alpha rocket suffered a mishap in space after launching from California on Tuesday, putting a satellite owned by Lockheed Martin in a "lower than planned orbit," suggesting a potential mission failure. Firefly said in a post on X that the mishap occurred during separation of Alpha's core stage booster with its second stage roughly two and a half minutes after liftoff. The faulty separation "impacted the Stage 2 Lightning engine nozzle, putting the vehicle in a lower than planned orbit." The company said it was working with Lockheed to determine the root cause of the failure. Lockheed did not immediately respond to a question on whether it believes its satellite could still reach its orbit or otherwise survive the mishap. "We're still gathering and analyzing all the data to confirm the status of the payload," a Firefly spokesperson said in an email. The mishap tallies four Alpha failures since its first flight in 2021 as Firefly, which achieved a breakthrough success in landing on the moon in March, tries to build its centerpiece launch business in a market dominated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. As Alpha ascended into space on Tuesday, a company live stream of the flight showed several particles flying off the rocket upon stage separation, as the second stage boosted the Lockheed satellite further into space. On-screen altitude and speed data had disappeared moments before, earlier than usual. A camera on the second stage showed its engine firing but apparently without its nozzle, as the first stage booster fell adrift miles away back to Earth. The Lockheed satellite remained intact and attached to the second stage while it rocked in a circular motion, with Earth's horizon in the background swaying. "Little bit of motion there," noted one of the live stream's two anchors, who did not acknowledge any issue with the flight. The mission was the first in an agreement between Firefly and Lockheed covering up to 25 missions over the next five years. Tuesday's payload was a satellite self-funded by Lockheed called LM 400 Technology Demonstrator, meant to advance space technologies and lower risk for its customers, such as the Pentagon. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
29-04-2025
- Science
- CNA
Problem with Firefly's Alpha rocket puts Lockheed satellite in shallow orbit
WASHINGTON :Firefly Aerospace said the sixth mission of its Alpha rocket suffered a mishap in space after launching from California on Tuesday, putting a satellite owned by Lockheed Martin in a "lower than planned orbit," suggesting a potential mission failure. Firefly said the mishap occurred during separation of Alpha's core stage booster with its second stage roughly two and a half minutes after liftoff, which "impacted the Stage 2 Lightning engine nozzle, putting the vehicle in a lower than planned orbit." The company said it was working with Lockheed to determine the root cause of the failure. Lockheed did not immediately respond to a question on whether it believes its satellite could raise its orbit or otherwise survive the mishap. The mission was the first in a multi-mission agreement between Firefly and Lockheed, which had on board the rocket a self-funded satellite called LM 400 Technology Demonstrator, meant to advance space technologies and lower risk for Lockheed customers.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Problem with Firefly's Alpha rocket puts Lockheed satellite in shallow orbit
By Joey Roulette WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Firefly Aerospace said the sixth mission of its Alpha rocket suffered a mishap in space after launching from California on Tuesday, putting a satellite owned by Lockheed Martin in a "lower than planned orbit," suggesting a potential mission failure. Firefly said the mishap occurred during separation of Alpha's core stage booster with its second stage roughly two and a half minutes after liftoff, which "impacted the Stage 2 Lightning engine nozzle, putting the vehicle in a lower than planned orbit." The company said it was working with Lockheed to determine the root cause of the failure. Lockheed did not immediately respond to a question on whether it believes its satellite could raise its orbit or otherwise survive the mishap. The mission was the first in a multi-mission agreement between Firefly and Lockheed, which had on board the rocket a self-funded satellite called LM 400 Technology Demonstrator, meant to advance space technologies and lower risk for Lockheed customers.
