Just like the big boys (NASA and SpaceX have both had repeated launch scrubs in September) Firefly has tried twice to get off the ground from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, both times pulling the plug before liftoff. Very early on Saturday morning (October 1, 2022), the Texas-based aerospace company will give it another go.
The next launch window opens at 12:01 a.m. PT (07:01 UTC), and the launch will be streamed live. The Everyday Astronaut has provided coverage of the first two attempts and will be on the air for the third try. You can use the link below to watch.
Firefly is calling the mission To The Black, and they describe it like this:
Alpha Flight 2: To The Black is Firefly’s second technology demonstration flight that will attempt to launch multiple satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO) from our launch site (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Alpha will first insert into an elliptical transfer orbit, coast to apogee, and perform a circularization burn.
On board the Alpha will be 35 kg (77 lbs) of tiny CubeSat satellites created by both educational and commercial sources. The satellites will test new technology and gather data.
Firefly hopes to make the U.S.-built Alpha into a leader in small payload launches. If all goes as planned, the company could launch as often as once a month.
Bottom line: Firefly Aerospace will make another attempt to launch its Alpha rocket very early on October 1, 2022.
Read more: Who owns all the satellites?
The post Launches: Firefly makes 3rd try to launch load of CubeSats first appeared on EarthSky.
