Engineering:List of Firefly Alpha launches

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Firefly Alpha is a small-lift launch vehicle developed by Firefly Aerospace. Its maiden launch was on September 3, 2021.

Launch statistics

Launch outcomes

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Launch sites

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Rocket configurations

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Launch history

Flight No. Name Date / time (UTC) Rocket, configuration Launch site Payload Orbit Customer Launch outcome
1 "DREAM" 3 September 2021
01:59[1] 		Firefly Alpha Block I Vandenberg, SLC-2W Various Retrograde LEO Various Failure
Maiden flight of the Firefly Alpha; carrying various payloads as part of their Dedicated Research and Education Accelerator Mission program.[2] Due to an engine failure approximately 15 seconds after the launch, the rocket lost control at transonic speed approximately two and a half minutes after launch that resulted in the activation of the flight termination system and loss of the vehicle.[3]
2 "To The Black" 1 October 2022
07:01[4] 		Firefly Alpha Block I Vandenberg, SLC-2W TechEdSat-15 (TES-15), TIS Serenity, PicoBus (deploying five PocketQubes) Retrograde LEO NASA Ames, SJSU, Teachers in Space, Inc., Libre Space Foundation, Fossa Systems, AMSAT-EA Partial failure
First partially successful orbital launch, carrying educational payloads, including a hosted payload, Firefly Capsule 2. Alpha deployed 7 satellites; however, due to the lower than intended final deployment orbit (219 km x 279 km,[5] intended 300 km), most of the satellites re-entered approximately a week after launch.
3 "VICTUS NOX" 15 September 2023
02:28[6] 		Firefly Alpha Block I Vandenberg, SLC-2W VICTUS NOX SSO U.S. Space Force (SSC) Success
Tactically Responsive Space-3 (TacRS-3) mission to display rapid response launch capabilities — the payload was integrated and launched 27 hours after launch order were received from the customer. First fully successful launch of Alpha. Second stage performed a re-ignition for a controlled deorbit.[7] VICTUS NOX decayed from orbit on January 28, 2025.[8]
4 "Fly The Lightning" 22 December 2023
17:32[9] 		Firefly Alpha Block I Vandenberg, SLC-2W Tantrum LEO Lockheed Martin Partial failure
Dedicated commercial launch, carrying an Electronically Steerable Antenna technology demonstrator payload for Lockheed Martin integrated on a Terran Orbital Nebula satellite bus. Stage 2 engine relight did not deliver the payload to its planned target orbit. Communications to the spacecraft were established and some mission operations took place. The satellite decayed on February 10, 2024, at approximately 15:00 UTC.[10]
5 "Noise Of Summer" 4 July 2024
04:04[11][12] 		Firefly Alpha Block I Vandenberg, SLC-2W VCLS Demo-2FB SSO NASA Success
NASA Venture Class Launch Services 2 (VCLS 2) Mission Two, officially known as VCLS Demo-2FB. The ELaNa 43 mission, consisting of eight CubeSats, launched on this flight.[13][14]
6 "Message In A Booster" 29 April 2025
13:37[15][16] 		Firefly Alpha Block I Vandenberg, SLC-2W LM 400 Demo LEO Lockheed Martin Failure
Carried an experimental satellite for Lockheed Martin in the first of 15 launches contracted through 2029, with options for 10 more. A mishap during stage separation damaged the second stage engine, substantially reducing thrust and preventing the payload from reaching orbital velocity.[17][18]
7 "Stairway To Seven" 12 March 2026
00:50[19] 		Firefly Alpha Block I Vandenberg, SLC-2W Test payload[20] LEO Firefly Aerospace Success
Return-to-flight mission following the failure of "Message In A Booster" in April 2025. Test flight for validating various systems components to be used on Block II. Also carried a demonstrator payload for Lockheed Martin. Final Block I launch.

Future launches

Future launches are listed chronologically when firm plans are in place. The order of the later launches is much less certain. Launches are expected to take place "no earlier than" (NET) the listed date.

Date / time (UTC) Rocket, configuration Launch site Payload Orbit Customer
Q2 2026[21] Firefly Alpha Block II Vandenberg, SLC-2W VICTUS HAZE Jackal LEO U.S. Space Force (SSC)
Planned maiden flight of Block II. Part of the United States Space Force's Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program. Will carry the Jackal Autonomous Orbital Vehicle manufactured by True Anomaly.
Q3 2026[22] Firefly Alpha Block II Vandenberg, SLC-2W QuickSounder LEO NOAA
First satellite in NOAA's Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON) Program.
2026[23][24] Firefly Alpha Block II Vandenberg, SLC-2W EOS SAR 1 SSO EOS Data Analytics
First EOS synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) constellation satellite.
2026[25] Firefly Alpha Block II Vandenberg, SLC-2W TacSat LEO Lockheed Martin
Second of 15 launches contracted by Lockheed Martin through 2029. Formerly slated to launch in Q2 2025.[26][27]
2026[28] Firefly Alpha Block II Vandenberg, SLC-2W OTB-2 LEO General Atomics
Part of General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems Group's Orbital Test Bed (OTB) program, designed to host experiments created by various customers.
2026[29] Firefly Alpha Block II Vandenberg, SLC-2W VICTUS SOL LEO U.S. Space Force (SSC)
Part of the United States Space Force's Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program.
2026[30] Firefly Alpha Block II Vandenberg, SLC-2W TBA LEO L3Harris
First of three dedicated launches for L3Harris.
2026[30] Firefly Alpha Block II Vandenberg, SLC-2W TBA LEO L3Harris
Second of three dedicated launches for L3Harris.
2026[30] Firefly Alpha Block II Vandenberg, SLC-2W TBA LEO L3Harris
Third of three dedicated launches for L3Harris.
2027[21] Firefly Alpha Block II MARS, LP-0A INCUS LEO NASA
Part of NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) program. First announced Alpha launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops.
TBD[31][21] Firefly Alpha Block II TBD Dedicated rideshare mission LEO Spaceflight, Inc.
Dedicated smallsat rideshare mission to low Earth orbit utilizing Firefly's Elytra Dawn orbital tug.
TBD[31][32] Firefly Alpha Block II TBD Satlantis EO Constellation LEO Satlantis
Satlantis earth observation satellite constellation.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2 September 2021). "Firefly Alpha explodes during first launch". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/firefly-alpha-explodes-during-first-launch/. 
  2. ↑ Berger, Eric (17 June 2019). "Firefly opens first Alpha rocket launch to academic and educational payloads". Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/06/firefly-opens-first-alpha-rocket-launch-to-academic-and-educational-payloads/. 
  3. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2021-09-06). "Firefly Alpha failure blamed on premature engine shutdown" (in en-US). https://spacenews.com/firefly-alpha-failure-blamed-on-premature-engine-shutdown/. 
  4. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2022-10-10). "Firefly says Alpha launch a success despite payload reentries" (in en-US). https://spacenews.com/firefly-says-alpha-launch-a-success-despite-payload-reentries/. 
  5. ↑ Jonathan McDowell [@planet4589] (Oct 1, 2022). "The second @Firefly_Space Alpha was launched from Space Launch Complex 2-West at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 0701 UTC. So far one object has been tracked in a 219 x 279 km x 136.9 deg low Earth orbit.". https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1576228892066693120. 
  6. ↑ Gray, Tyler (15 September 2023). "Firefly's Alpha successfully launches VICTUS NOX rapid response mission". NASASpaceFlight. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/09/firefly-victus-nox/. 
  7. ↑ Schnautz, Risa (2023-09-14). "Firefly Aerospace Successfully Launches U.S. Space Force VICTUS NOX Responsive Space Mission with 24-Hour Notice" (in en-US). https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-successfully-launches-victus-nox-with-24-hour-notice/. 
  8. ↑ "VICTUS NOX". N2YO.com. 28 January 2025. https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=57861. 
  9. ↑ Gray, Tyler (22 December 2023). "Firefly suffers second stage anomaly on "Fly the Lightning" mission". NASASpaceFlight. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/12/fly-the-lightning/. 
  10. ↑ Jonathan McDowell [@planet4589] (11 February 2024). "Tantrum reported to have reentered sometime between 1426 and 1518 UTC Feb 10. That almost 1 hr uncertainty corresponds to a track from Brazil to S Africa to NW Australia to Papua to Wake Island.". https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1756696249875472615. 
  11. ↑ "Firefly Alpha - VCLS Demo-2FB (ELaNa 43)". Next Spaceflight. 29 February 2024. https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6865. 
  12. ↑ Schnautz, Risa (2024-06-22). "Firefly Aerospace Ready to Launch Alpha FLTA005 for NASA No Earlier Than June 26" (in en-US). https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-ready-to-launch-alpha-flta005-for-nasa-no-earlier-than-june-26/. 
  13. ↑ Higginbotham, Scott (9 August 2021). "CubeSat Launch Initiative – Upcoming Flights". NASA. p. 3. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/15.higginbotham_nasa_town_hall_2021_smallsat-csli.pdf. 
  14. ↑ Foust, Jeff (12 December 2020). "Three companies win NASA small launch contracts". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/three-companies-win-nasa-small-launch-contracts/. 
  15. ↑ "Firefly Aerospace Announces Multi-Launch Agreement with Lockheed Martin for 25 Alpha Launches". Firefly Aerospace (Press release). 5 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  16. ↑ "Alpha FLTA006 "Message in a Booster"". Firefly Aerospace. 11 February 2025. https://fireflyspace.com/missions/alpha-flta006/. 
  17. ↑ Clark, Stephen (2025-04-29). "Firefly's rocket suffers one of the strangest launch failures we've ever seen" (in en). https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/04/fireflys-rocket-suffers-one-of-the-strangest-launch-failures-weve-ever-seen/. 
  18. ↑ Foust, Jeff (29 April 2025). "Alpha launch of Lockheed tech demo satellite fails". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/alpha-rocket-suffers-stage-separation-anomaly-during-launch-of-lockheed-tech-demo-satellite/. 
  19. ↑ "Stairway To Seven | Alpha Block 1 | Next Spaceflight" (in en). https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/8029/. 
  20. ↑ "Alpha FLTA007" (in en-US). https://fireflyspace.com/missions/alpha-flta007/. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Baylor, Michael. "Firefly Alpha - Spaceflight Industries Rideshare". Next Spaceflight. https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6866. 
  22. ↑ "Firefly Aerospace Awarded NASA Contract to Launch NOAA's QuickSounder Spacecraft". Firefly Aerospace (Press release). 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  23. ↑ "SAR Technology – EOSSAR". EOS Data Analytics. 21 November 2019. https://eossar.com/technology/. 
  24. ↑ Werner, Debra (22 October 2019). "Noosphere Venture campaign begins coming together with radar constellation". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/noosphere-venture-campaign-begins-coming-together-with-radar-constellation/. 
  25. ↑ "Alpha FLTA007". 29 September 2025. https://fireflyspace.com/missions/alpha-flta007/. 
  26. ↑ "Firefly Aerospace Announces Multi-Launch Agreement with Lockheed Martin for 25 Alpha Launches". Firefly Aerospace (Press release). 5 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  27. ↑ "Alpha FLTA006 "Message in a Booster"". Firefly Aerospace. 11 February 2025. https://fireflyspace.com/missions/alpha-flta006/. 
  28. ↑ "OTB-2 | Alpha Block 2 | Next Spaceflight" (in en). https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6867/. 
  29. ↑ "VICTUS SOL | Alpha Block 2 | Next Spaceflight" (in en). https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7928/. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 "Firefly Aerospace Awarded Multi-Launch Agreement with L3Harris". Firefly Aerospace (Press release). 5 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Foust, Jeff (17 July 2022). "Firefly gears up for second Alpha launch". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/firefly-gears-up-for-second-alpha-launch/. 
  32. ↑ Etherington, Darrell (4 February 2020). "Rocket startup Firefly signs satellite constellation launch mission with Satlantis". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/04/rocket-startup-firefly-partners-signs-satellite-constellation-launch-mission-with-satlantis/. 



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