
Firefly Alpha | FLTA004 (Fly the Lightning)

Firefly Aerospace · Firefly Alpha · Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Firefly Aerospace's 4th launch · 2nd this year · humanity's 6,579th orbital launch attempt
Either the launch vehicle reached orbit but did not deliver its payload in the targeted orbit, or an exceptional event made it impossible to consider the mission a success.
Window: Dec 22, 17:18 – Dec 22, 17:48 UTC
Flight preview
FLTA004 (Fly the Lightning)
Firefly’s Alpha rocket will launch Lockheed Martin’s new wideband Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) technology integrated on a Terran Orbital Nebula satellite bus. Developed within Lockheed Martin Space’s Ignite organization using a proprietary design, the ESA payload will demonstrate faster on-orbit sensor calibration to deliver rapid capabilities to U.S. warfighters.
Technology · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Booster
No booster details available.
Watch
- Alpha FLTA004 Fly The Lightning — Firefly Aerospace
Updates
Updated launch status following confirmation of stage 2 2nd burn failure.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/23/2023 · source
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/22/2023 · source
Updated T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/22/2023 · source
Livestream has started
LL2 · 12/22/2023 · source
Weather 40% GO.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/22/2023 · source
New T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/22/2023 · source
Confirmed rescheduled for December 22.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/21/2023 · source
Tentatively planned for December 22.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/20/2023 · source
Scrubbed due to weather, next launch attempt TBD.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/20/2023 · source
Updating T-0
Nosu · 12/20/2023 · source
Pad — Space Launch Complex 2W
Local pad time: Dec 22, 9:32 AM PST
99 launches from this pad · 899 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
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