Tag: FireFly
-
SS Sally Ride Cygnus arrives at ISS on NG-18 mission
Northrop Grumman launched the second to last Antares 230+ rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia for the NG-18 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) at 5:32:42 AM EST (10:23:423 UTC) on Monday, Nov. 7 Despite one of its solar arrays failing to fully deploy, the cargo vehicle successfully arrived at the ISS for berthing two…
-
Firefly looking ahead after “To The Black” payloads reenter early
On Oct. 1, 2022, Firefly launched the “To The Black” mission which successfully deployed three satellites into low Earth orbit. However, space tracking data showed that the satellites were deployed at a lower-than-planned altitude, and just two weeks after launch, all payloads have reentered Earth’s atmosphere. Firefly has begun expansions to its test site in…
-
Firefly succeeds on second Alpha flight
With the goal of successfully reaching orbit, Firefly successfully launched FLTA002 – its second demonstration flight of the Alpha launch vehicle – on the mission dubbed “To The Black.” Launching from Space Launch Complex 2 West (SLC-2W) at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the vehicle lifted off at 12:01 AM PDT (07:01 UTC)…
-
“Missile Row” pads at Cape Canaveral returning to action
Cape Canaveral has been at the heart of America’s space program since the very beginning. A hub for rocketry research and development in its early days, the Cape served as a test center not just for spaceflight and research but also for the US missile development programs. With so many projects, the landscape was littered…
-
Firefly Aerospace’s maiden flight of Alpha launch vehicle ends in failure
Firefly Aerospace suffered a failure during the first orbital flight of their small satellite launch vehicle, Alpha. The launch, designated as FLTA001, launched from Space Launch Complex 2 West at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California before blowing up during first stage flight. Firefly was aiming to become the fifth company to develop and fly…
-
Intuitive Machines adds third mission following first lunar landings in 2022
Intuitive Machines (IM) has selected SpaceX to launch their third mission to the Moon. Named IM-3, the company’s Nova-C lander will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 currently targeted for the first quarter of 2024 following two Nova-C missions in 2022. Overall, IM is one of four Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) providers preparing for…
-
Firefly closes in on debut flight with rocket delivery to Vandenberg launch site
Across the world, several startup launch providers such as Relativity Space, Astra, Virgin Orbit, and others are currently in fierce competition with one another to bring their in-development rockets into operation and obtain a share of the ever-growing small satellite launch market. One of those companies – Texas-based Firefly Aerospace – has taken a substantial…
-
Small Satellite Launchers Poised for Big 2020
In 2019, American companies reached crucial milestones on the path towards launching small satellites. Firefly Aerospace and Virgin Orbit both secured partnerships and accomplished test objectives ahead of their respective rockets’ first flights this year. Concurrently, Rocket Lab improved its launch cadence and began evolving their Electron rocket as they look towards expanding their capabilities…
-
Firefly prepares for maiden flight with critical testing, new additions
For the better part of 18 months, a Central Texas-based rocket startup known as Firefly Aerospace has been building and testing components of a small orbital launch vehicle, which is currently set to make its debut later this year if things go according to plan. However, the company has recently ramped up operations in all…