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![]() by Staff Writers Vandenberg AFB CA (SPX) Sep 03, 2021
Firefly's Alpha 1 exploded minutes after lifting off from the California launch pad at Vandenberg AFB on Thursday. The Alpha rocket was "terminated" over the Pacific Ocean shortly after its 6:59 p.m. liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base, according to a base statement. Firefly said an "anomaly" occurred during the first-stage ascent that "resulted in the loss of the vehicle" about 2.5 minutes into the flight. The rocket exploded in a fireball, leaving a smoke trail. A team of investigators will try to determine what caused the failure of Alpha's first attempted orbital launch. The launch had pushed back an hour after a first attempt was aborted. Standing 95 feet (26 meters) high, the two-stage Alpha rocket was designed to launch up to 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of payload into low Earth orbit. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Firefly is developing various launch and space vehicles, including a lunar lander. It's Alpha rocket was designed to target the growing market for launching small satellites into Earth orbit.
![]() ![]() FAA grounds Virgin Galactic amid spaceflight 'mishap' probe Washington DC (UPI) Sep 2, 2021 The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday said it grounded Virgin Galactic amid an investigation of its July launch into space, which went off trajectory. The agency said the VSS Unity, a SpaceShipTwo spacecraft, deviated from its course as it returned to Spaceport America in New Mexico on July 11. "Virgin Galactic may not return the SpaceShipTwo vehicle to flight until the FAA approves the final mishap investigation report or determines the issues related to the mishap do not affe ... read more
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