Firefly releases video and more details about its Alpha rocket that exploded mid-flight
Firefly’s Alpha rocket exploded mid-flight on Thursday, but the company posted a new video on Sunday and provided more detail on what happened. “Although the vehicle didn’t make orbit, the day marked a major advancement for our team,” the company tweeted. “We demonstrated we ‘arrived’ as a company capable of building and launching rockets.”
Alpha, a two-stage rocket, lifted off from the Vandenberg Space Force base in California at 9:59PM ET on Thursday, carrying a payload of private satellites. It was the company’s first-ever mission, and two minutes after liftoff the rocket began tipping horizontally, falling short of reaching its maximum aerodynamic pressure.
According to Firefly, the rocket cleared the launch pad successfully, but...