Texas-based Firefly Aerospace (FLY) on Monday was conducting tests ahead of its seventh flight for its Alpha rocket when a booster exploded.
"During testing at Firefly's facility in Briggs, Texas, the first stage of Firefly's Alpha Flight 7 rocket experienced an event that resulted in a loss of the stage," the company wrote on its website. "Proper safety protocols were followed, and all personnel are safe. The company is assessing the impact to its stage test stand, and no other facilities were impacted."
The seventh Alpha flight was intended to be a dedicated commercial launch. Firefly expected to launch in Q4 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. However, the flight has most likely been delayed.
Prior Missions
It's another setback for Firefly, which suffered a failure during its Alpha launch in April, according to Space.com. During that mission, the first-stage booster broke apart shortly after separation from the upper stage. That issue damaged the upper stage's engine nozzle, which compromised thrust and led to the loss of Lockheed Martin's (LMT) satellite payload.
Firefly in March successfully landed its Blue Ghost lander on the Moon, which marked the first commercial moon landing, according to the company. The lander launched in January and completed 100% of its missions during the two-week surface operations.
Firefly has a backlog worth $1.1 billion and is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, according to Barron's. In July, Firefly received a $176.7 million NASA contract to deliver five NASA-sponsored payloads to the Moon in 2029.
