spacetoday.net: Alpha launch of Lockheed Martin satellite fails

Posted: Sun, May 4, 2025, 10:18 AM ET (1418 GMT)
An Alpha rocket by Firefly Aerospace malfunctioned on a launch Tuesday morning, preventing its Lockheed Martin payload from reaching orbit. The Alpha lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:37 am EDT (1337 GMT) after a one-day delay because of problems with ground equipment. The vehicle, though, suffered an anomaly during stage separation, creating debris and causing the loss of the nozzle of the upper stage engine. That reduced the thrust of the engine and Firefly later said it failed to reach orbit, reentering near Antarctica. The rocket was carrying a Lockheed Martin LM 400 satellite that Lockheed intended to fly on a brief technology demonstration mission. This was the second launch failure in six flights of Alpha, with two others placing payloads in orbits lower than intended.