Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Watch Firefly launch their FIRST EVER orbital rocket, Alpha!

[TIME SUBJECT TO CHANGE] /// We will go live at T-60 minutes, so you can use the YouTube notification to know they are 60 minutes from launch] Also stay tune...

FLTA001 (Maiden Flight)

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Test Flight

Low Earth Orbit Space Launch Complex 2W Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA Probability: 100%

First flight of the new Firefly Alpha small sat launcher developed by Firefly Aerospace. It will carry Firefly’s DREAM (Dedicated Research & Education Accelerator Mission), which includes various payloads like cubesats, personal items, pictures, DNA samples and more to inspire young people to pursue STEM education.

Updates

Nosu • Aug. 27, 2021, 10:26 p.m.

Launch window announced via EDA.


spacevogel • Aug. 19, 2021, 7:30 p.m.

Launch is NET Sep 2.


Cosmic_Penguin • May 4, 2021, 1:40 p.m.

Launch is NET mid-June.


SwGustav • Jan. 29, 2021, 7:38 p.m.

NET March 14th


spacevogel • Nov. 27, 2020, 6:09 p.m.

Launch is NET January 2021


Firefly Alpha

Family:
Configuration:

Firefly Alpha (Firefly α) is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle developed by the American aerospace company Firefly Aerospace to cover the commercial small satellite launch market. Alpha is intended to provide launch options for both full vehicle and ride share customers.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    29.0 m
  • Diameter
    1.82 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    2.21 m
  • Launch Mass
    54.0 T
  • Thrust
    736.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Firefly Alpha
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Firefly Alpha
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $15000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    1000.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    630.0 kg

Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace

(FA)

CEO: Peter Schumacher Founded: 2014 Successes: 3 Failures: 3 Pending: 4

Agency Type:

Firefly Aerospace is an American private aerospace firm based in Austin, Texas, that develops small and medium-sized launch vehicles for commercial launches to orbit.

INFO WIKI

Related News

SpaceNews

Firefly Alpha failure blamed on premature engine shutdown

Firefly Aerospace said Sept. 5 its first Alpha rocket failed when one of its first-stage engines shut down seconds after liftoff.

Spaceflight Now

Firefly’s Alpha rocket explodes on inaugural test launch

The first test flight of Firefly Aerospace’s privately-developed Alpha small satellite launcher ended in a fiery explosion soon after liftoff Thursday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Spaceflight Now

Firefly set for inaugural test launch from Vandenberg

The first test flight of Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha launch vehicle could take off as soon as Thursday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The four-hour launch window opens at 6 p.m. PDT (9 p.m. EDT) Thursday, or 0100 GMT Friday.

SpaceNews

Firefly Alpha explodes during first launch

Firefly Aerospace’s first launch of its Alpha rocket ended in failure when the rocket exploded two minutes after liftoff Sept. 2

NASA Spaceflight

Firefly Aerospace’s maiden flight of Alpha launch vehicle ends in failure

Firefly Aerospace is set to perform the first orbital flight of their small satellite launch vehicle, Alpha. The launch, designated as FLTA001, is currently targeted for no earlier than 6:00 PM PDT on September 2 (01:00 UTC on September 3)…

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Space Launch Complex 2W


Kinetica 1
Success
2 days, 11 hours ago
6 satellites
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Carried 6 satellites to Sun-synchronous orbit, including commercial Earth observation satellites Taijing-3-04 & Taijing-4-02A: * Taijing-3-04 * T…


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 11 hours ago
Starlink Group 12-15
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 7A
Success
3 days, 3 hours ago
ChinaSat 3B
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Chinese communication geostationary satellite for unknown purposes.


Ceres-1S
Success
4 days, 7 hours ago
Tianqi 16-18 & 20
Oriental Spaceport mobile launch ship - Sea Launch

4 small satellites for LEO Internet of Things (IoT) communication purposes.


PSLV-XL
Failure
5 days, 14 hours ago
EOS-09 (RISAT-1B)
Satish Dhawan Space Centre First Launch Pad - Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India

RISAT-1B is the third in the series of radar imaging RISAT-1 satellites of ISRO using an active C-band SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar), providing all-…


Electron
Success
6 days, 7 hours ago
The Sea God Sees (iQPS Launch 2)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company iQPS.


Zhuque-2E
Success
6 days, 11 hours ago
6 satellites
Launch Area 96 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

6 satellites from satellite manufacturer SpaceTY, including 3 multi-spectral Earth observation satellites and 3 technology demonstration satellites f…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 15-5
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 6-67
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Space Computing Constellation
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

12 satellites from ADASPACE testing in-orbit data processing capabilities for other satellites with artificial intelligence assistance, as well as in…