Firefly Alpha Flight 6 Failure: What Now?

On the 29th April 2025, Firefly Aerospace launched its sixth Alpha rocket flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. For the first two and a half minutes, the rocket appeared to be operating normally. However, at stage separation, unusual clouds of white fumes or vapour were visible. Despite the stages separating successfully and the second stage engine igniting, a closer look at the footage showed a critical issue: the second stage engine’s exhaust nozzle was missing.

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00:00 Intro
01:28 Firefly's Mixed Record
04:39 Firefly Hasn’t Established A Reliable Track Record
07:02 Insurance Costs Amplifies Alpha’s Challenges
08:05 Can Alpha’s Niche Attract Customers?
09:30 The Case for Pivoting to a Medium Launch Vehicle
11:37 Pivoting to Lunar Landers and Orbital Tugs
13:03 Outro

Sources:

Firefly Aerospace FLTA0006 “Message in a Bottle” Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/pkusoizm-Zk