Firefly Aerospace set to relaunch Alpha rocket on March 1 after delays

Firefly Aerospace is poised to resume flights of its Alpha launch vehicle with the upcoming FLTA007 mission, set to take place on March 1 from California’s coast after a nearly ten-month hiatus. The launch, titled “Stairway to Seven,” is scheduled for no earlier than 4:50 PM PST (00:50 UTC on March 2) and will use a launch window that extends until 6:50 PM PST (02:50 UTC on March 2). Previously slated for February 27 and 28, the launch was postponed due to forecasts predicting elevated upper-level winds, with potential backup opportunities available on March 2 as the Firefly and USSF Space Launch Delta 30 teams continue to monitor weather conditions.

Originally intended for launch on February 20, FLTA007 was delayed by severe weather expected on the West Coast. The mission will lift off from Space Launch Complex 2W (SLC-2W) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, a former site for Delta II launches, and will follow a southwest trajectory. Notably, this flight will not carry any payloads, primarily serving as a test for modifications made to the Alpha rocket and to validate its ascent capabilities. If the second stage successfully enters low-Earth orbit, it will do so in retrograde, traveling opposite to the direction of Earth’s rotation.

As the Alpha rocket readies for liftoff, its four Reaver engines will ignite using kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants two seconds prior to launch to ensure all systems are functioning correctly. Key milestones during the flight include reaching Mach 1 at 55 seconds after liftoff and maximum dynamic pressure at a minute and six seconds. The main engine will cut off at approximately two minutes and thirty-five seconds, followed by stage separation at two minutes and thirty-eight seconds.

This mission follows the complications faced by the previous FLTA006 “Message In A Booster” flight, which encountered issues just after stage separation, leading to the first stage rupturing and an interrupted thrust delivery to the second stage. Investigations revealed that excessive heating and aerodynamic loads contributed to that mishap. Firefly has since implemented corrective measures, including enhancing the thermal protection of the first stage and adjusting the vehicle’s flight path.

FLTA007 is critical as it will also test various systems intended for future Block II upgrades, as Firefly transitions its designs following this mission. The company has since cleared regulatory hurdles with the Federal Aviation Administration, following an earlier incident where a first stage explosion occurred during tests at its Briggs, Texas facility, attributed to hydrocarbon contamination.

The upgraded launch vehicle incorporates lessons learned from past flights, including improvements in thermal protection and optimized sensor configurations. After successfully executing a 20-second static fire test on February 6, the company is ready to move forward with its “Stairway to Seven” launch, which will serve as the last mission for the current Alpha Block 1 configuration before ushering in the Alpha Block II version.

If successful, the subsequent Block II mission will be the VICTUS HAZE Jackal mission scheduled for later this year, along with NOAA’s QuickSounder mission on the Alpha launch manifest. With capabilities exceeding 1,000 kg to low-Earth orbit, the Alpha rocket is also slated for future launches from facilities in Virginia and Sweden as Firefly expands its operational reach.