Firefly AerospaceFirefly AlphaSpace Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Stairway to Seven
Launched
March 12, 2026 · 00:50 UTC
Image: Firefly Aerospace / Jack Beyer
Summary
Stairway to Seven launched on a Firefly Aerospace Firefly Alpha from Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on March 12, 2026 at 00:50 UTC. The launch window ran from 00:50 to 02:50 UTC. It was Firefly Aerospace's 7th launch, 1st this year and humanity's 7,223rd orbital launch attempt. It was the 7th Firefly Alpha flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). ICOR SV, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 408 × 412 km orbit inclined 123.0°. 2 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- Alpha Flight 7 "Stairway To Seven"Firefly Aerospace
- Vehicle
- Firefly Alpha · Firefly Aerospace
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Test Flight · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 7th Firefly Alpha flight · 1st this yearFirefly Aerospace's 7th launch1st this yearhumanity's 7,223rd orbital launch attempt50th orbital launch attempt this year
Webcast
Flight preview
Simulate in Flight ClubOrbit: as tracked
ICOR SV · NORAD 68127 · 2026-046 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2026-046A
- Epoch
- 2026-03-12 01:41:52 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.54783681 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.00032
- Inclination
- 123°
- Ascending node
- 215.5968°
- Arg. of perigee
- 334.03°
- Mean anomaly
- 351.62°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- 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.
Flight timeline
- T−2SIgnition
- T−0Liftoff
- T+55SSupersonic
- T+1M6SMax-Q
- T+2M32SMECO
- T+2M35SStage 2 Separation
- T+2M38SSES
- T+3M3SFairing Separation
- T+8M2SSECO
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage; 1 still in orbit
- ICOR SV · NORAD 68127 · re-entered April 21, 2026
Alpha FLTA007 Stage 2 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Firefly Alpha's Flight 7 is a test flight and return-To-Flight for the launch vehicle after its April 2025 launch failure. It will test and validate key systems ahead of Firefly’s Block II configuration upgrade on Flight 8 that’s designed to enhance reliability and manufacturability across the vehicle. Flight 7 is the last flown in Alpha’s current configuration and will test multiple Block II subsystems, including the in-house avionics and thermal improvements, to gain flight heritage and validate lessons learned ahead of the full configuration upgrade on Flight 8. This launch also delivered a demonstrator payload for Lockheed Martin.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
99th launch from Space Launch Complex 2W, 1st this year · 867th from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Local pad time at liftoff: Mar 11, 5:50 PM PDT, in daylight
99 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
316 days after the previous launch from this pad
Updates
Launch success.
Show 9 earlier updates
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/12/2026 · source
Official Webcast by Firefly Aerospace has started
LL2 · 3/12/2026 · source
Rescheduled for March 11 PDT.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/11/2026 · source
Scrubbed due to off-nominal readings during fluids loading.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/10/2026 · source
Confirmed rescheduled for today.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/10/2026 · source
Reverted to NET March TBD.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/10/2026 · source
Scrubbed for the day due to sensor issue.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/9/2026 · source
GO for launch.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/6/2026 · source
NET March 10 UTC, to be confirmed.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/5/2026 · source
Questions
When did Stairway to Seven launch?
Stairway to Seven launched on March 12, 2026 at 00:50 UTC. The launch window ran from 00:50 to 02:50 UTC.
Where can I watch Stairway to Seven?
Coverage: Alpha Flight 7 "Stairway To Seven". Watch the replay
What rocket launched Stairway to Seven?
Firefly Alpha, flown by Firefly Aerospace. Firefly Alpha spec sheet
Where did Stairway to Seven launch from?
Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. Liftoff was Mar 11, 5:50 PM PDT local time at the pad.
What orbit did Stairway to Seven reach?
ICOR SV, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 408 × 412 km orbit inclined 123.0°.
How many satellites did Stairway to Seven launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).