Alpha launch failure blamed on structural failure from aeroheating

Alpha FLTA0006 upper stage view — A camera on the second stage of Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket shows debris falling away and a damaged or missing nozzle shortly after stage separation April 29. Credit: Firefly Aerospace/NASASpaceFlight.com

WASHINGTON — Firefly Aerospace said its most recent Alpha launch four months ago was lost because of structural failure linked to higher-than-normal heating during the vehicle’s ascent.

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Jeff Foust writes about space policy, commercial space, and related topics for SpaceNews.

He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science…
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