Firefly Aerospace Successfully Launches Alpha FLTA005 Noise
Stay informed with our
free newsletters

Firefly Aerospace Successfully Launches Alpha FLTA005 Noise of Summer Mission for NASA

  • Firefly team completed orbital insertion, payload deployment, second stage relight, and orbital plane change

Firefly Aerospace, an end-to-end space transportation company, today announced it successfully launched its Alpha Flight 5 (FLTA005) rocket and completed the payload deployment sequence as part of the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with NASA.

The mission, called Noise of Summer, lifted off from Firefly’s SLC-2 launch site at the Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:04 p.m. PDT on July 3, 2024. Following payload deployment, Firefly successfully performed a second stage relight and plane change maneuver to further test and validate Alpha’s on-orbit capabilities.

“The Firefly team knocked it out of the park,” said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “As a NASA vendor for both launch and lunar services, we look forward to continuing this partnership and supporting the agency’s larger space exploration goals from Earth to the Moon and beyond.”

Small Satellites - Market and Technology Forecast to 2029

Small Satellites - Market and Technology Forecast to 2029

Market forecasts by Region, by Technology, Application, Platform, Launch Type, and by End-User. Technology and Market Overview, Market and opportunity Analysis, and Leading Companies

Download free sample pages More information

As a NASA VCLS Demo 2 task order, the successful mission further validates Alpha’s capabilities to provide small satellite launches for NASA on a recurring basis. The mission’s CubeSats were selected through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) that provides U.S. educational institutions and nonprofits with low-cost access to space.

“The launch of Firefly Aerospace’s demonstration mission marks one more way NASA is innovating for the benefit of humanity,” said Hamilton Fernandez, mission manager for NASA’s Launch Services Program. “NASA is using CubeSat missions to demonstrate the capability of small rockets and build relationships with this new part of the U.S. launch vehicle industry.”

At the time of this release, ongoing activities are underway by NASA and the CubeSat teams as they work to acquire signals for all satellites. Additional updates will be posted to the mission webpage.

Looking ahead, Firefly is in the final testing phase for its next Alpha launch, FLTA006, in support of a dedicated commercial mission for Lockheed Martin. The Firefly team is concurrently ramping up for a responsive on-orbit Elytra mission that will launch on Alpha FLTA007 later this year while also working to complete the final readiness milestones for its first Blue Ghost mission to the Moon launching in Q4 2024.


Publishdate:
Jul 4, 2024
Firefly Aerospace, Inc
View original News release

FutureG for Defense Summit 2025

FutureG for Defense Summit 2025

Alexandria, VA
Mar 26 - 27, 2025

View agenda
Cybersecurity Law and Compliance Conference

Cybersecurity Law and Compliance Conference

Arlington, VA
Jan 29 - 30, 2025

View agenda