Mission Summary

Alpha FLTA004, called Fly the Lightning, will launch a demonstrator payload for Lockheed Martin to low Earth orbit to help get faster on-orbit capabilities in the hands of U.S. warfighters.

As a secondary objective, the mission team will further demonstrate responsive space capabilities by tracking and improving the total working hours required from payload delivery to launch readiness compared to Alpha FLTA003, the record-breaking VICTUS NOX mission.

During the final launch operations, the mission team will encapsulate and mate the payload to Firefly’s Alpha rocket using a similar responsive timeline. Our rapid, iterative operations and robust facilities, including Firefly’s payload processing facility at our launch site, allow the team to quickly ready the payload and rocket for liftoff.

Payload

Firefly’s Alpha rocket will launch Lockheed Martin’s new wideband Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) technology integrated on a Terran Orbital Nebula satellite bus.

Developed within Lockheed Martin Space’s Ignite organization using a proprietary design, the ESA payload will demonstrate faster on-orbit sensor calibration to deliver rapid capabilities to U.S. warfighters.

The ESA sensor is expected to calibrate in a fraction of the time it takes to operationalize traditional on-orbit sensors, which historically can take months to be powered on, fully calibrated, and ready to perform their mission.

Credit: Firefly Aerospace

The Firefly Alpha is a small-lift launch vehicle developed by Firefly Aerospace. It is designed to provide a cost-effective, reliable option for launching payloads to low Earth orbit (LEO) for commercial, civil, and national security missions.

Specs

Height: 29 m (95 ft)

Diameter: 1.82 m (6 ft)

Mass: 54,000 kg (119,000 lb)

Stages: 2

Payload to LEO (Low Earth Orbit): 1,030 kg (2,270 lb)

Payload to SSO (Sun-Synchronous Orbit): 630 kg (1,390 lb)

First Flight: September 2021

The Alpha uses a tap-off cycle engine for its first stage, with four Reaver engines providing the necessary thrust for launch. The second stage is powered by a single Lightning engine, optimized for vacuum conditions. Alpha is designed for fast, responsive launches, capable of sending payloads to orbit with just 24 hours' notice.

This rocket is primarily intended for launching small satellites and serves as a flexible, on-demand launch solution. The Alpha is part of Firefly’s efforts to provide quick access to space and support a wide range of mission types.

Courtesy of Firefly Aerospace. Photo courtesy of Tom Cross for Supercluster.

SLC-2W (Space Launch Complex 2W) is a launch pad located at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Originally built in the 1960s for the Titan II missile program, it has since been repurposed to support orbital launches. The facility is primarily used for launches that require polar orbits and sun-synchronous orbits (SSO), making it a key site for missions that involve spacecraft requiring these specific trajectories.

Today, SLC-2W is used by several commercial launch providers, including Firefly Aerospace, which conducts launches of their Alpha rocket from the site. The pad has also supported various other rockets over the years, such as the Delta II and Minotaur rockets. Its location over the Pacific Ocean provides a clear and safe launch path, especially for missions that involve high-inclination orbits. This launch complex plays a significant role in enabling small and medium-lift rockets to access space efficiently and safely.

Photo courtesy of Firefly Aerospace, Inc.