Firefly's Alpha rocket, Lockheed satellite fall into ocean after failed launch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket suffered a technical issue on Tuesday as it ascended into space on its sixth flight, causing a Lockheed Martin satellite it was supposed to place into orbit to crash into the Pacific Ocean.
About two minutes following liftoff from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the engine nozzle on Alpha's upper portion broke off in space moments after it attempted to separate from the rocket's core booster as designed, "substantially reducing the engine's thrust," Firefly said.
While typical rocket mishaps trigger explosions or on-board shutdown commands, Alpha's upper rocket body fired for several minutes and ascended to 320 km (200 miles) in altitude. But it failed to reach its intended orbit and was pulled back into the atmosphere by Earth's gravity.
"The stage and payload have now safely impacted the Pacific Ocean in a cleared zone north of Antarctica," Firefly said.
During Alpha's ascent, a company livestream of the flight showed several pieces of debris flying off the rocket. On-screen altitude and speed data disappeared moments before, earlier than usual.
With Tuesday's events, four of six Alpha flights since 2021 have failed. Firefly, which was able to achieve a breakthrough moon landing in March, is vying with a handful of similar upstarts seeking to build a launch business in a market dominated by Elon Musk's SpaceX.