Firefly AerospaceFirefly AlphaSpace Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
FLTA002 (To The Black)
Launched
October 1, 2022
Image: Firefly Aerospace / Jack Beyer
Summary
FLTA002 (To The Black) launched on a Firefly Aerospace Firefly Alpha from Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on October 1, 2022. It was Firefly Aerospace's 2nd launch, 1st this year and humanity's 6,308th orbital launch attempt. It was the 2nd Firefly Alpha flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Serenity, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 226 × 285 km orbit inclined 136.9°. 5 objects from this launch are catalogued, 4 of them payloads.
- Watch
- Vehicle
- Firefly Alpha · Firefly Aerospace
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Test Flight · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 2nd Firefly Alpha flight · 1st this yearFirefly Aerospace's 2nd launch1st this yearhumanity's 6,308th orbital launch attempt126th orbital launch attempt this year
Webcast
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Serenity · NORAD 53955 · 2022-122 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 5 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- UNKNOWN
- Epoch
- 2022-10-01 12:32:02 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.09491031 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0044286
- Inclination
- 136.8971°
- Ascending node
- 129.6823°
- Arg. of perigee
- 167.749°
- Mean anomaly
- 192.6785°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 3
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
5 catalogued: 4 payloads, 1 rocket stage; none still in orbit
- Serenity · NORAD 53955 · re-entered October 12, 2022
- ASTROLAND-1 · re-entered October 5, 2022
- TechEdSat-15 · re-entered October 5, 2022
- ASTROLAND-2 · re-entered October 5, 2022
Alpha FLTA002 Stage 2 · re-entered October 7, 2022
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Second test flight of the Firefly Alpha small sat launcher developed by Firefly Aerospace.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
94th launch from Space Launch Complex 2W, 1st this year · 704th from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
99 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
393 days after the previous launch from this pad
Updates
Launch success confirmed
Show 9 earlier updates
Liftoff
Nosu · 10/1/2022 · source
Setting GO
SwGustav · 10/1/2022 · source
Scrubbed for the day
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/30/2022 · source
Abort
Nosu · 9/30/2022 · source
Countdown resumed for a new attempt at 07:52 UTC
Nosu · 9/30/2022 · source
Abort during countdown, awaiting potential recycle during the launch window
Nosu · 9/30/2022 · source
Webcast live
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/30/2022 · source
Adjusting T-0
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/30/2022 · source
Targeting September 30th at 07:01 UTC with a 2 hour launch window.
Jay · 9/19/2022 · source
Questions
When did FLTA002 (To The Black) launch?
FLTA002 (To The Black) launched on October 1, 2022. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch FLTA002 (To The Black)?
Coverage: Watch Firefly Launch Their Alpha Rocket To Orbit For The First Time!; [SCRUBBED] Watch Firefly's Second Orbital Launch Attempt Of Their Alpha Rocket!; [SCRUBBED][4K] Watch Firefly's Second Orbital Launch Attempt Of Their Alpha Rocket!. Watch the replay
What rocket launched FLTA002 (To The Black)?
Firefly Alpha, flown by Firefly Aerospace. Firefly Alpha spec sheet
Where did FLTA002 (To The Black) launch from?
Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
What orbit did FLTA002 (To The Black) reach?
Serenity, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 226 × 285 km orbit inclined 136.9°.
How many satellites did FLTA002 (To The Black) launch?
4 payloads from this launch are catalogued, none of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).