2025 · Firefly Aerospace

FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)

failureFirefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)

Sixth flight of the Firefly Alpha small satellite launcher, launching the demonstration mission for Lockheed Martin's new LM400 satellite bus, which will carry a communications payload. The satellite bus is customizable to support different missions, including remote sensing, communications, imagery and radar Earth observations. It can also support different kinds of orbits and launch configurations.

Overview

Date / time: April 29, 2025 at 01:37 PM UTC
Outcome: failure
Launch site: Space Launch Complex 2W
Mission: FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)
Mission type: Technology
Orbit achieved: Low Earth Orbit

FailureProblem during stage separation and second stage ignition caused disintegration of the separated 1st stage and the loss of the Lightning engine nozzle extension on the 2nd stage, substantially reducing the engine’s thrust. 2nd stage reached 320 km in altitude but did not reach orbital velocity, eventually impacted the Pacific Ocean north of Antarctica.