UPDATE (11:22 a.m., April 29) - In a statement released late Tuesday morning, following an unsuccessful rocket launch, Firefly reported that "a mishap between stage separation and second stage ignition ... led to the loss of the Lightning engine nozzle extension, substantially reducing the engine’s thrust." The rocket's upper stage reportedly did not reach orbital velocity and the rocket and its payload fell into the Pacific Ocean in a "cleared zone" north of Antarctica.
Firefly says it is working with the FAA to investigate the cause of the problem.
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UPDATE (8:04 a.m., April 29) - Firefly reports a "mishap" occurred during first-stage separation, which impacted the stage 2 lightning engine nozzle. "We are working with our Lockheed Martin customer, the Space Force, and FAA to conduct a thorough investigation and determine the root cause," Firefly stated on X.
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UPDATE (6:37 a.m., April 29) - The Firefly Alpha rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Tuesday morning after delays over the past several days.
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UPDATE (4:39 p.m., April 28) - The Firefly Alpha launch is now scheduled to take place no earlier than 6:37 a.m. to 7:29 a.m. on Tuesday, April 29.
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UPDATE (10:38 a.m., April 28) - After two launch attempts Monday morning, Firefly announced it was scrubbing the launch Monday "due to an issue with ground support equipment."
A new launch time has not been announced, but backup opportunities are available for Firefly through Thursday.
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UPDATE (April 27) - Firefly Aerospace announced in a post on X Sunday morning that the launch of its "Message in a Booster" mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base would be pushed forward to Monday.
Alpha #FLTA006 update: With a high chance for a weather violation today, we’re moving our launch attempt to tomorrow when conditions look much clearer. Launch window will open at 6:37 am PDT on April 28. Stay tuned for more. pic.twitter.com/qIDfqo1Ddw
— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) April 27, 2025
The company attributes the delay to a "weather violation."
The announcement comes amid a storm system moving through the Central Coast this weekend.
Firefly Aerospace officials say the new launch window is set to open at 6:37 a.m. on Monday.
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ORIGINAL STORY (April 25) — After a nearly two-month delay, Firefly Aerospace has announced a new launch window for its “Message in a Booster” mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Following a “range constraint” delay in early March, a new launch window is now set with the earliest opportunity for liftoff being Sunday, April 27, between 6:37 a.m. and 7:29 a.m.
A Firefly spokesperson says additional opportunities are available in the mornings through Thursday.
The launch of Lockheed Martin’s LM 400 tech demo is to “prove out the risk-reduction and pathfinding efforts the company has done for its multi-mission satellite bus,” according to Firefly.
This is the second mission Firefly is launching for Lockheed Martin and the first multi-launch agreement with the company, which reportedly “includes up to 25 missions over the next five years.”
“FLTA006 will further validate Alpha’s robust performance to take customers directly to their preferred orbits as the only operational 1 metric ton rocket,” Firefly states in the mission summary.
Last July, Firefly launched its Alpha Flight 5 mission for NASA from Vandenberg, deploying eight payloads.
The aerospace company has launched at least three prior times from Vandenberg, one exploding after liftoff in 2021.
