FIREFLY AEROSPACE REACHES ORBIT WITH NEW ALPHA ROCKET

A new aerospace company reached orbit with its second rocket launch and deployed multiple small satellites on Saturday (01). Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, in early morning darkness and arced over the Pacific. “100% mission success,” Firefly tweeted later. A day earlier, an attempt to launch abruptly ended when the countdown reached zero. The first-stage engines ignited but the rocket automatically aborted the liftoff. The rocket’s payload included multiple small satellites designed for a variety of technology experiments and demonstrations, as well as educational purposes. The mission, dubbed “To The Black,” was the company’s second demonstration flight of its entry into the market for small satellite launchers. The first Alpha was launched from Vandenberg on Sept. 2, 2021, but did not reach orbit. One of the four first-stage engines shut…