Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Noise of Summer

Alpha FLTA005 will launch eight CubeSats in support of Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demo 2 contract with NASA.

FLTA005 (Noise of Summer)

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Technology

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Space Launch Complex 2W Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Fifth flight of the Firefly Alpha small sat launcher, carrying eight cubesats for NASA's ELaNa 43 (Educational Launch of a Nanosatellite) mission.

Telemetry

Launch trajectory and telemetry simulations provided by Flight Club - a rocket launch simulator and orbital trajectory visualiser for all things space!

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • July 4, 2024, 6:16 a.m.

Launch success with all payloads deployed.


Cosmic_Penguin • July 4, 2024, 4:04 a.m.

Liftoff.


LL2 • July 4, 2024, 3:31 a.m.

Official Webcast by Firefly Aerospace has started


Cosmic_Penguin • July 3, 2024, 11:49 p.m.

GO for launch.


Cosmic_Penguin • July 3, 2024, 4:17 a.m.

NET July 4 UTC.


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
    29.6 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: 4 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 Aerospace launches NASA-sponsored cubesats

Firefly Aerospace placed eight cubesats into orbit on a mission funded by NASA on the first flight of the company’s Alpha rocket since an upper stage malfunction more than half a year ago.

NASA

Eight CubeSats Lift Off for NASA on Firefly Aerospace Rocket!

As part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative, Firefly Aerospace launched eight small satellites on July 3 aboard the company’s Alpha rocket. Named “Noise of Summer,” the rocket successfully lifted off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenbe…

NASASpaceflight

Firefly set to launch Alpha on Noise of Summer mission

After six months of preparation following its last flight, Firefly is ready to launch the Alpha rocket on its fifth mission no earlier than Tuesday, July 2, at 9:03 AM PDT (16:03 UTC). This mission, named Noise of Summer, is to launch eigh…

Spaceflight Now

Firefly puts Alpha rocket NASA mission on hold to study data

Firefly made two launch attempts on Monday night, but had to ultimately scrub the mission due to a "ground support issue." Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Space Force Base is set for no earlier than July 2 at 9:03…

NASASpaceflight

Launch Roundup: Falcon Heavy returns with GOES-U, Firefly launches an Alpha

Following a week in which Tropical Storm Alberto brought high seas, wind, and rain-related delays to the launch schedule in Florida, SpaceX hopes to get back on track this week with launches planned for all three of the active Falcon launc…

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Space Launch Complex 2W


Long March 6A
Success
1 day, 5 hours ago
SpaceSail Polar Group 09
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with…


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 15 hours ago
NROL-172
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Thirteenth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Offi…


Long March 7
Success
2 days, 17 hours ago
Tianzhou-10
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Ninth cargo delivery mission to the Chinese space station.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 17-29
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
CAS500-2 & Others
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Ride-share of 45 satellites including: * CAS500-2 (KASA, South Korea) The South Korean CAS500-1 and -2 satellites will image the Earth in pan-chr…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Starlink Group 10-38
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Soyuz-5
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
Demo Flight
45/1 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Demonstration Flight for Russia's new Soyuz-5 launch vehicle, with a mass simulator on board. The launch was suborbital with the simulator splashing …


Ariane 64
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Amazon Leo (LE-02)
Ariane Launch Area 4 - Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access, thi…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Starlink Group 17-36
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon Heavy
Success
2 weeks ago
ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific)
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

The ViaSat-3 is a series of three Ka-band satellites is expected to provide vastly superior capabilities in terms of service speed and flexibility fo…