Firefly's alpha rocket explodes in its first test launch [Watch]

Firefly today launched its first rocket from Vandenberg, California. The rocket carried a number of cargoes to be placed in near-Earth orbit or LEO. The rocket took off from the launch pad as scheduled and flew normally in the first phase of the launch until it experienced an anomaly and exploded . The explosion destroyed the entire shipment.

This launch was actually the first test flight of the first Firefly launch system called Alpha. It should be noted that in the aerospace industry, the launch of a rocket from the launch pad is an achievement in itself. The rocket malfunctioned minutes after launch. Also, the place where this anomaly occurred is exactly where the spacecraft is leaving the Earth's atmosphere and the most aerodynamic pressure is applied to its various parts.

Firefly said on Twitter a few minutes later that in order to maintain security protocols, personnel had left the area and minimized the risk of rocket parts hitting. The company will soon release details of the mission and the Alpha rocket explosion.

The private company Firefly was first established in 2014 with the aim of conducting commercial launches. The company went bankrupt in 2017 and was renamed "Firefly Air and Space". The company's alpha rocket is a small launch system that can carry up to a ton of cargo into near-Earth orbit. The company is developing its own beta rocket that can carry up to 8 tonnes of cargo into this orbit.

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