Firefly Space Systems

[Orionid]

Firefly Alpha failure blamed on premature engine shutdown
by Jeff Foust — September 5, 2021

Firefly noted that “due to missing the thrust of 1 of 4 engines the climb rate was slow, and the vehicle was challenged to maintain control without the thrust vectoring of engine 2.” The vehicle was able to remain stable while going at subsonic speeds, but once it went transonic, “the three engine thrust vector control was insufficient and the vehicle tumbled out of control.”

https://spacenews.com/firefly-alpha-failure-blamed-on-premature-engine-shutdown/

https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/09/09/firefly-says-early-engine-shutdown-led-to-launch-failure/

[Orionid]

Firefly Alpha – nagrania ze startu
BY KRZYSZTOF KANAWKA ON 9 WRZEŚNIA 2021

https://kosmonauta.net/2021/09/firefly-alpha-nagrania-ze-startu/

[Aga Bej]

Na kanale Every Day Astronauta, godzinny materiał z wizyty u Fireflya

 

[kanarkusmaximus]

Ciekawa sprawa - są problemy ze strukturą udziałową  we Firefly i... spółka pauzuje przygotowania do kolejnego startu.

https://spacenews.com/firefly-halts-launch-preparations-after-federal-government-seeks-divestment-of-foreign-ownership/

[kanarkusmaximus]

Dalszy krok z Firefly -  inwestor z Ukrainy się wycofuje.

[Lion97]

Minęło sporo czasu od ostatniego startu i firma przygotowuje się do drugiego lotu Alphy. Pierwszy i drugi stopień zostały wysłane do Vandenberg w Kalifornii gdzie odbędzie się druga próba startu. Podczas pierwszego lotu 15 sekund po starcie awarii uległ silnik, a po 2min 30s uruchomiony został system FTS.

https://twitter.com/Firefly_Space/status/1529100106871582722

[kanarkusmaximus]

Firefly będzie pracować przy Antaresie:

https://twitter.com/Firefly_Space/status/1556688871546568705

[station]

Rozumiem, że projekt Alpha jest mimo wszystko nadal rozwijany... (?)

[gelo]

Rozumiem, że projekt Alpha jest mimo wszystko nadal rozwijany... (?)

Tak jest!
Jak ogłosili na Facebooku, dziś przeprowadzili udany static fire wszystkich 4 silników i celują z drugim startem na 11 września.

https://www.facebook.com/fireflyspace/videos/1170162333545795/

[Orionid]

FLTA003 – trzeci lot RN Alpha to misja wojskowa dla USSF (monitorowanie innych obiektów na orbicie, przewidywanie ewentualnych zagrożeń orbitalnych).

Start Alphy
  15.09. o 02:27 z Vandenberg wystrzelona została RN Firefly Alpha, która miała wynieść na orbitę o parametrach: hp=550 km, ha=550 km, i=97,7° satelitę bądź satelity programu DoD VICTUS NOX (TacRS-3, USMIG-8). Na razie brak jest potwierdzenia satelizacji.
hp=476 km, ha=531 km, i=97,32° satelitę programu DoD VICTUS NOX (TacRS-3, USMIG-8).
http://lk.astronautilus.pl/n230901.htm#16


https://twitter.com/KenslowMatthew/status/1702525211248345141

https://abc30.com/rocket-launch-firefly-aerospace-vandenberg-space-force-base/13784909/
https://www.noozhawk.com/firefly-aerospace-aiming-for-third-alpha-rocket-launch-at-vandenberg-sfb/


https://timesofsandiego.com/military/2023/09/14/see-it-firefly-aerospace-alpha-rocket-from-vandenberg-lights-up-san-diego-sky/

Firefly and Millennium Space’s Victus Nox mission sets a new record for responsive launch
Aria Alamalhodaei@breadfrom / 8:47 PM GMT+2•September 15, 2023

Firefly Aerospace successfully launched a satellite for the U.S. Space Force last night with just 24 hours’ notice, in a record-setting demonstration of rapid launch capabilities for national security missions.

The Space Force gave Firefly notice to launch on September 13, at which point the 24-hour clock started ticking. Within that window, Firefly managed to complete final launch preparations, update the flight software trajectory, encapsulate the Millennium Space Systems-made payload and mate it to the Firefly Alpha rocket.

The company launched the Victus Nox mission at the first available window, with Alpha leaving the pad just 27 hours after the launch notice was received. (...)
https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/15/firefly-and-millennium-spaces-victus-nox-mission-sets-a-new-record-for-responsive-launch/
https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/09/firefly-and-space-force-demonstrate-ability-to-rapidly-launch-a-satellite/

https://spacenews.com/firefly-launches-space-force-victus-nox-mission/
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-09-14/u-s-space-force-vandenberg-launch
SPACE SYSTEMS COMMAND Media Release

https://spacenews.com/space-force-keeping-the-responsive-launch-dream-alive/

The mission — colloquially known as VICTUS NOX, which translates to “conquer the night” in Latin — served as a demonstration of the United States’ capability to quickly place a satellite in orbit in response to a national security threat, if the need ever arises. Firefly was awarded the mission in October 2022 under the Orbital Services Program 4 contract.

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/09/firefly-victus-nox/
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=58176.80

Victus Nox (TacRS 3) https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/victus-nox.htm

[Orionid]

Fotki ze startu

[Lion97]

Firefly Aerospace potwierdza udany start Alpha w misji Victus Nox.

https://twitter.com/Firefly_Space/status/1702573114306015418