Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)
Firefly Alpha launched the FLTA006 (Message in a Booster) mission for Firefly Aerospace from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on Apr 29, 2025 (UTC).
Launch pad
Space Launch Complex 2W · Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)
Launched Apr 29, 2025 10:37:00 PMFailure
Flight direction
90° E
orbit unknown: due east assumed
Flight path
First-stage drop zone (rough estimate)
Drawn 400–700 km downrange along the flight direction. Official hazard areas are published as NOTAMs and navigational warnings.
About the mission
Sixth flight of the Firefly Alpha small satellite launcher, launching the demonstration mission for Lockheed Martin's new LM400 satellite bus, which will carry a communications payload. The satellite bus is customizable to support different missions, including remote sensing, communications, imagery and radar Earth observations. It can also support different kinds of orbits and launch configurations.
Mission description from Launch Library 2.
- Launch time (your time zone)
- Tue, Apr 29 · 10:37:00 PM
- Status
- Failure
- Launch provider
- Firefly Aerospace
- Rocket
- Firefly Alpha
- Mission type
- Technology
- Target orbit
- LEO
- Launch pad
- Space Launch Complex 2W · Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA