Alpha Rocket Explodes in Test; Europe Plans Mini Starship
▼ Summary
– The fourth quarter of 2025 will feature major launches including Blue Origin’s New Glenn second flight and SpaceX’s final Starship test flight of the year.
– Rocket Lab’s Neutron vehicle may debut in late 2025 but is likely to be delayed until 2026.
– Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket booster was destroyed in an accident during testing in Texas, with no personnel injuries reported.
– The destroyed booster was intended for Firefly’s seventh launch, carrying a Lockheed Martin satellite, marking a return-to-flight mission after an April failure.
– The Alpha rocket is designed to deploy over 2,200 pounds to low-Earth orbit but experienced an in-flight failure in April when its upper stage engine shut down prematurely.
The final quarter of 2025 promises a packed launch schedule, with several major milestones on the horizon. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket is preparing for its second flight and landing attempt, while SpaceX’s Starship aims for its last test flight of the year. Rocket Lab’s Neutron vehicle could potentially debut before year’s end, though a slip into 2026 appears increasingly likely.
Firefly Aerospace suffered a significant setback when the booster stage of its next Alpha rocket was destroyed in a fiery accident. The incident occurred on the company’s vertical test stand in Central Texas. Firefly confirmed the stage was lost during testing but emphasized that all personnel remained safe and proper safety protocols were followed. Social media imagery depicted a large fireball and a column of black smoke rising from the facility located roughly 40 miles north of Austin.
This particular booster was undergoing final testing before its planned shipment to Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It was scheduled to launch a small commercial satellite for Lockheed Martin later this year. The mission was intended to mark the Alpha rocket’s return to flight following a previous in-flight failure last April. During that earlier incident, the upper stage’s engine shut down prematurely, preventing the rocket from reaching orbit and deploying its satellite payload.
The destroyed booster was slated for the seventh launch of Firefly’s Alpha rocket. This expendable, two-stage launch vehicle is designed to carry payloads of just over 2,200 pounds, or one metric ton, into low-Earth orbit. The loss represents a notable challenge for Firefly as it works to reestablish its launch cadence and demonstrate reliability to its commercial and government customers.
(Source: Ars Technica
