CNBC by Michael Sheetz 9/2/2021
Key Points
• Space company Firefly launched its Alpha rocket for the first time on Thursday evening, but the vehicle had suffered an issue a couple minutes into ascent and exploded in the sky above the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
• Firefly was attempting to reach orbit, and its Alpha rocket went supersonic moments before the failure, according to the company’s mission control audio.
• Standing at 95 feet tall, Firefly’s Alpha rocket is designed to launch as much as 1,000 kilograms of payload to low Earth orbit
Space company Firefly launched its Alpha rocket for the first time on Thursday evening, but the vehicle had suffered an issue a couple minutes into ascent and exploded in the sky above the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
Firefly was attempting to reach orbit, and its Alpha rocket went supersonic moments before the failure, according to the company’s mission control audio. The rocket launched from the SLC-2 complex at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
“Alpha experienced an anomaly during first stage ascent that resulted in the loss of the vehicle. As we gather more information, additional details will be provided,” the company said in a tweet.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/02/firefly-livestream-watch-its-alpha-rocket-launch-for-the-first-time.html
