FAA Clears Firefly Aerospace to Resume Alpha Launches

Firefly Aerospace has received clearance from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to resume launches of its Alpha small-satellite rocket, the company and the regulator confirmed late Tuesday. The decision ends a four-month grounding that followed the failure of Alpha Flight 6 on 29 April, when the vehicle fell just short of reaching orbit while carrying a Lockheed Martin technology-demonstration payload. An internal investigation conducted alongside the FAA and an independent review board concluded that excessive heat caused by Plume-Induced Flow Separation likely ruptured Alpha’s first stage milliseconds after stage separation. The subsequent pressure wave damaged the second-stage engine nozzle, reducing thrust and preventing orbital insertion. The inquiry found that flight-safety systems operated as designed and that debris posed no threat to the public. Firefly said it has already implemented straightforward fixes, including increasing thermal-protection thickness on the first stage and lowering the rocket’s angle of attack during key flight phases. With regulatory approval in hand, the Texas-based company is working to set a launch window for Alpha Flight 7. Firefly shares rose about 5 % in late trading after the FAA’s decision was disclosed.