{"id":11253,"date":"2022-10-01T20:58:38","date_gmt":"2022-10-01T12:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/firefly-reaches-orbit-in-successful-demonstration-launch-from-california\/"},"modified":"2022-10-01T20:58:38","modified_gmt":"2022-10-01T12:58:38","slug":"firefly-reaches-orbit-in-successful-demonstration-launch-from-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/firefly-reaches-orbit-in-successful-demonstration-launch-from-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Firefly reaches orbit in successful demonstration launch from California"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Four kerosene-fueled Reaver engines power Firefly\u2019s Alpha rocket off the launch pad in California on Oct. 1. Credit: Brian Sandoval \/ Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Firefly Aerospace said its privately-developed Alpha small satellite launcher achieved \u201c100% mission success\u201d on a test flight from California early Saturday, adding another provider to the growing roster of commercial companies that have successfully fired a rocket into orbit.<\/p>\n

The launch Saturday from Vandenberg Space Force Base was the second test flight for Firefly\u2019s Alpha rocket, following a flight last September that was cut short by the early shutdown of a main engine, causing the rocket to spin out of control. No such problems occurred Saturday after the Alpha rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 2-West at Vandenberg at 12:01 a.m. PDT (3:01 a.m. EDT; 0701 GMT).<\/p>\n

The 96.7-foot-tall (29.5-meter) Alpha rocket cleared the launch pad and climbed high into the atmosphere, heading southwest from Vandenberg, a military base about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles. The rocket disappeared into a veil of cloud cover over the California spaceport, but an infrared tracking camera continued to monitor the rocket\u2019s ascent, showing a tongue of hot exhaust from its four kerosene-fueled Reaver engines.<\/p>\n

The Reaver engines, developed and built by Firefly, produced more than 165,000 pounds of thrust at liftoff. The engines cut off at an altitude of nearly 250,000 feet (75 kilometers), allowing the Alpha rocket\u2019s first stage booster to separate and fall back into the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n

A single Lightning engine on the Alpha rocket\u2019s second stage ignited a few seconds later to continue powering the launcher into orbit. The kerosene-fueled Lightning engine, also developed by Firefly, burned for five minutes and produced more than 15,000 pounds of thrust to accelerate into a preliminary orbit. The Alpha rocket\u2019s payload shroud jettisoned during the second stage burn.<\/p>\n

The infrared tracking camera showed the booster and payload shroud falling away from the Alpha rocket as it continued downrange. Firefly confirmed an on-time shut down of the Lightning engine nearly eight minutes into the flight, and teams in the launch control center celebrated with applause and hugs as the rocket reached a preliminary orbit.<\/p>\n

After coasting halfway around the world, the upper stage engine briefly reignited over South Africa to adjust its orbit to a more circular path around Earth. A few minutes later, the rocket deployed its three payloads, containing seven small satellites in total, an event recorded by a camera on the upper stage. Firefly tweeted that the mission was 100% successful.<\/p>\n

Based in Cedar Park, Texas, Firefly gave the second Alpha launch the nickname \u201cTo The Black,\u201d signifying the company\u2019s goal to reach space.<\/p>\n