{"id":10074,"date":"2024-07-02T20:21:19","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T12:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/firefly-launches-alpha-rocket-on-nasa-mission\/"},"modified":"2024-07-02T20:21:19","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T12:21:19","slug":"firefly-launches-alpha-rocket-on-nasa-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/firefly-launches-alpha-rocket-on-nasa-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Firefly launches Alpha rocket on NASA mission"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_66652\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66652\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66652\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240702_Firefly_FLTA005_prelaunch.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240702_Firefly_FLTA005_prelaunch.jpg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240702_Firefly_FLTA005_prelaunch-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240702_Firefly_FLTA005_prelaunch-678x452.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240702_Firefly_FLTA005_prelaunch-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-66652\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Firefly Aerospace\u2019s Alpha FLTA005 rocket stands at Space Launch Complex 2 (SLC-2) in support of the \u201cNoise of Summer\u201d mission. Image: Firefly Aerospace \/ Sean Parker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><strong>Update 12:05 a.m.: Liftoff occurred on time this evening.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Firefly Aerospace took more time before rescheduling its fifth Alpha rocket following a last minute ground systems issue Monday night. This will be Firefly\u2019s first mission with NASA as the customer. When it launches, the two-stage, 29.48 meter (96.7-foot) tall rocket will send eight CubeSats from multiple universities and NASA centers to a sun-synchronous Earth orbit.<\/p>\n<p>The company set the next launch attempt for 9:04 p.m. PDT (12:04 a.m. EDT \/ 0404 UTC) on Wednesday night\/Thursday morning.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VWAg2vWfWnY\" width=\"678\" height=\"381\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>On Monday, the mission countdown reached T-8 seconds when the first abort call came through. It was described as a \u201cground support issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Launch teams made the call to recycle to T-19 minutes and aimed for the end of the 30-minute launch window at 9:33 p.m. PDT (12:33 a.m. EDT, 0433 UTC). However, once the countdown reached about T-10 minutes and 12 seconds, a second abort call was made and Firefly ultimately decided to scrub the launch attempt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe team has identified the solution and is working quickly to meet our next launch window on July 2nd,\u201d Firefly wrote on social media.<\/p>\n<p>The Alpha FLTA005 mission, also nicknamed \u201cNoise of Summer,\u201d is part of the $9.8 million Venture-Class Launch Services Demo 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract awarded by NASA in December 2020. It along with Astra Space Inc. ($3.9 million) and Relativity Space Inc. ($3 million) were awarded firm fixed-price contracts to connect small satellites with newer rockets.<\/p>\n<p>The idea, according to NASA is that these \u201csmall satellites can tolerate a higher level of risk than larger missions and will demonstrate \u2013 and help mitigate \u2013 risks associated with the use of new launch vehicles providing access to space for future small spacecraft and missions.\u201d The contract is funded in part through the Earth Science Division of NASA\u2019s Science Mission Directorate in partnership with NASA\u2019s Launch Services Program (LSP).<\/p>\n<p>Astra launched its VCLS Demo 2 mission in February 2022, which ended in failure shortly after stage separation.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp;<\/span>Meanwhile, Relativity ended its Terran 1 rocket program prior to launching its VCLS Demo 2 mission. Presumably, it will lobby to fly that mission using its forthcoming Terran R rocket, which is set to debut in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>In May, NASA classified Firefly\u2019s Alpha rocket as \u201cCategory 1\u201d on a three-tier risk tolerance barometer. It defines this category as \u201cHigh Risk \u2013 New, common rocket configuration with little or no prior demonstrated flight history.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_66630\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66630\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66630\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240422-Firefly-Demo-2-Payload-Processing-MESAT1-Intergration.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"585\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240422-Firefly-Demo-2-Payload-Processing-MESAT1-Intergration.jpeg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240422-Firefly-Demo-2-Payload-Processing-MESAT1-Intergration-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240422-Firefly-Demo-2-Payload-Processing-MESAT1-Intergration-678x453.jpeg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240422-Firefly-Demo-2-Payload-Processing-MESAT1-Intergration-768x513.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-66630\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Technicians from the University of Maine prepare CubeSat MESAT-1 for integration at Firefly\u2019s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Monday, April 22, 2024. MESAT-1, along with seven other payloads, will be integrated into a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket for NASA\u2019s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency\u2019s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly\u2019s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract. Image: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>NASA refers to this flight as ELaNa 43 (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 43) mission. The eight CubeSats onboard are part of the agency\u2019s CubeSate launch Initiative (CSLI), which it describes as \u201can ongoing partnership between the agency, educational institutions, and nonprofits, providing a path to space for educational small satellite missions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alpha FLTA005 is carrying the following payloads, which will be deployed to a sun-synchronous Earth orbit:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>CatSat \u2013 University of Arizona, Tucson<\/li>\n<li>KUbeSat-1 \u2013 University of Kansas, Lawrence<\/li>\n<li>MESAT-1 \u2013 University of Maine, Orono<\/li>\n<li>R5-S4, R5-S2-2.0 \u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad- NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center<\/li>\n<li>Serenity \u2013 Teachers in Space<\/li>\n<li>SOC-i \u2013 University of Washington, Seattle<\/li>\n<li>TechEdSat-11 (TES-11) \u2013 NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center, California\u2019s Silicon Valley<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Their functions range from CatSat\u2019s demonstration of a deployable antenna for high-speed communications to MESAT-1\u2019s study of temperatures to \u201cdetermine phytoplankton concentration in bodies of water to help predict algal blooms,\u201d to the R5-S4 and R5-S2-2.0 satellites, which are looking at how to build leaner CubeSats.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the near term, R5 hopes to demonstrate new processes that allows for faster and cheaper development of high-performance CubeSats,\u201d said Sam Pedrotty, R5 project manager at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston, in a statement. \u201cThe cost and schedule improvements will allow R5 to provide higher-risk ride options to low-Technology Readiness Levels payloads so more can be demonstrated on-orbit.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_66633\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66633\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66633\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240701_Alpha_FLTA005_launch_timeline.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240701_Alpha_FLTA005_launch_timeline.jpeg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240701_Alpha_FLTA005_launch_timeline-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240701_Alpha_FLTA005_launch_timeline-678x381.jpeg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240701_Alpha_FLTA005_launch_timeline-768x432.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-66633\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A rendering of the timeline of Firefly Aerospace\u2019s \u201cNoise of Summer\u201d mission using its Alpha FLTA005 rocket. Graphic: Firefly Aerospace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Alpha returns to flight<\/h4>\n<p>The last time an Alpha rocket launched was on Dec. 22, 2023, when it launched the \u201cFly the Lightning\u201d mission on behalf of customer, Lockheed Martin. That mission ended in a partial failure when an issue with the upper stage caused the rocket to fall short of placing the satellite into its intended orbit.<\/p>\n<p>In February, the company submitted its mishap investigation report to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which included both a mishap investigation team and an independent review team to determine the root cause of the issue. Firefly determined that it was an error within the guidance, navigation and control (GNC) software that didn\u2019t correctly communicate with the upper stage\u2019s reaction control system (RCS) thrusters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re&nbsp;proud of the combined team\u2019s ability to work together to achieve this positive outcome,\u201d said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, in a statement. \u201cLooking ahead, the important long-term outcome is the rapid, thorough maturation of Alpha as the dependable one metric ton class rocket the market is demanding, which Firefly is dedicated to and is delivering.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_66631\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66631\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66631\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240701_Fly_the_Lightning_launch.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240701_Fly_the_Lightning_launch.jpg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240701_Fly_the_Lightning_launch-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240701_Fly_the_Lightning_launch-678x424.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240701_Fly_the_Lightning_launch-768x480.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-66631\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Firefly Aerospace launches the Alpha FLTA004 rocket on the \u201cFly the Lightning\u201d mission on behalf of Lockheed Martin. Image: Firefly Aerospace \/ Trevor Mahlmann<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lockheed Martin was not deterred by the partial mishap, as evidenced by its recent investment in Firefly\u2019s Alpha rockets as a ticket to space. In early June, it signed a multi-launch deal with Firefly for 15 confirmed launches and up to 10 addition missions through 2029. The first launch on Alpha FLTA006 is set to launch later this year from Vandenberg.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur customers have told us they need rapid advancement of new mission capabilities,\u201d said&nbsp;Bob Behnken, Director, Ignite Technology Acceleration at Lockheed Martin Space, in a statement. \u201cThis 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, as well as enabling our continued exploration of tactical and responsive space solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During a ribbon cutting ceremony marking key expansions at its manufacturing facilities in Cedar Park, Texas, in late February, Weber told the crowd that Alpha FLTA005 is the first of a handful of missions this year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are launching the Alpha rocket four times this year with real missions that matter in the world that we operate in. Not test payloads or we\u2019re going to try it and see what happens, real contracts with real customers, commercial and government,\u201d Weber said. \u201cAnd then, we\u2019re gonna come back next year and do it six to eight times again and then on we go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During that presentation, Weber said that Alpha FLTA007 will be the first launch of their Elytra orbital vehicle \u201cin the September\/early October timeframe.\u201d The payloads that will attach to that spacecraft have not been announced.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1688898037664370689&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2024%2F07%2F02%2Fwatch-firefly-to-launch-8-cubesats-for-nasa-on-5th-alpha-rocket%2F&amp;sessionId=cb84fc9495d8fe88b9c3bdf2975475c50a014fc3&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782461426855680307=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Introducing Elytra: Our line of highly mobile and scalable orbital vehicles. Formerly known as our Space Utility Vehicle, Elytra offers more robust on-orbit solutions, including mobility, hosting, delivery, and servicing across cislunar space and beyond. pic.twitter.com\/bjJw969yBB<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) August 8, 2023<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Firefly also announced that it secured launch space in both Virginia and Sweden within the past month. It said Pad-0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia, will be ready to support both the Alpha rocket as well as the Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV) (in partnership with Northrop Grumman) in early 2025. It took over the space formerly used by Northrop Grumman\u2019s Antares 220+ rocket.<\/p>\n<p>A partnership with the Swedish Space Company (SSC) will allow it to begin launching from the new spaceport at Estrange Space Center in Sweden beginning in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re pleased to announce this historic collaboration that will have a huge impact on the global launch market, not least in Europe and the U.S.,\u201d said Charlotta Sund, CEO at SSC, in a statement. \u201cReducing the current gap of orbital launch sites in Europe, this collaboration strengthens the transatlantic link between Sweden and the U.S. whilst offering unique space capabilities for the Swedish NATO membership. We\u2019re looking forward to releasing this competitive and well-proven launch service at Esrange in northern Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Firefly signed an agreement in 2019 to use SLC-20 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and announced plans to standup an Alpha manufacturing facility at Exploration Park, near the gates to NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. However, the company stated that it is primarily focusing on Wallops for its East Coast launch position for now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith Firefly conducting all its Alpha missions in a rapid cadence for its customers, it is prioritizing operations on Wallops Island while maintaining its relationship at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Wallops also answers the market demand for diverse launch locations and easing launch schedule constraints on the East Coast,\u201d Firefly said to Spaceflight Now in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis path allows Firefly to leverage existing infrastructure on Virginia\u2019s Eastern Shore, including the vehicle and payload processing facilities, to rapidly meet the needs of its customers. Along with the resiliency to launch schedules, Wallops Island also enables operational efficiencies across vehicle lines since Firefly\u2019s Medium Launch Vehicle will launch from the same pad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During a factory tour in February 2024, Adam Oakes, Firefly\u2019s vice president of launch vehicles, said being able to launch from Wallops will be a big asset, especially when it comes to the launch of the MLV, which will take over launching the Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the government is looking for resilient access to space and Florida\u2019s one hurricane away from being delayed some amount of time,\u201d Oakes said. \u201cSo flying from Wallops is a unique differentiator, I\u2019ll say, for that vehicle. It\u2019s very cost-competitive compared to the current Falcon 9 system and Dragon and actually, delivers more cargo than what the Falcon 9 cargo system will deliver. So, we\u2019re pretty excited about that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Firefly Aerospace\u2019s Alpha FLTA005 rocket stands at Space Launch Complex 2 (SLC-2) in support of the \u201cNoise of Summer\u201d mission. Image: Firefly Aerospace \/ Sean Parker Update 12:05 a.m.: Liftoff occurred on time this evening. Firefly Aerospace took more time before rescheduling its fifth Alpha rocket following a last minute ground systems issue Monday night. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[444,1350,1351,443,1352,1353],"class_list":["post-10074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-alpha","tag-alpha-ftla005","tag-elana-43","tag-firefly-aerospace","tag-nasas-lsp","tag-venture-class-launch-services-demo-2"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10074"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10074"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10074\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}