Texas-based Firefly Aerospace is celebrating today (March 11) after launching its Alpha rocket for the first time in nearly a year.
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The test stand explosion was ultimately traced to “a process error during stage one integration that resulted in a small hydrocarbon contamination,” according to a November Firefly Updatewhich ruled out a design flaw in the rocket and cleared the way back to the launch pad.
Nevertheless, Firefly changed “Stairway to Seven”. The company reframed it as a test flight, stripped off the original payload (another Lockheed Martin satellite) and focused on achieving “nominal first and second stage performance,” according to a assignment description.
“Stairway to Seven” took to the skies tonight (March 11) from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, departing at 8:50 p.m. ET (0050 GMT March 12).
About 2 minutes, 40 seconds into flight, Alpha successfully completed first-stage separation, ejecting its main booster as the rocket’s upper stage continued to propel its way to orbit.
After fairing ejection about 30 seconds later, Alpha cut off its engine on the upper stage about 8 minutes after liftoff and reached orbit as planned, 243 kilometers above Earth.
Having climbed the “Stairway to Seven” now, Firefly will retire Alpha’s Block I configuration as it continues to upgrade the launch vehicle to improve its capabilities.
Firefly says Alpha’s seventh launch was more than just a requalification flight to “test and validate key systems ahead of Firefly’s Block II configuration,” which is scheduled to debut on Flight 8.
The Alpha Block II will stand approximately 7 feet (2.13 meters) taller than its 96.7 feet (29.6 m) predecessor and will have upgraded avionics and power systems, as well as improved thermal protection.
Today’s launch was a significant step forward for Firefly, which has excelled in some areas of the space business more than others. Last year, the company was left unmanned Blue ghost The Moon Lander became the first private spacecraft to complete a mission on the lunar surface, but Alpha has now managed full mission success only three times in its seven orbital launch attempts.
