{"id":39036,"date":"2021-09-04T17:09:38","date_gmt":"2021-09-04T17:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/09\/04\/rocket-terminated-in-fiery-explosion-over-pacific-ocean\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:13:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:13:31","slug":"rocket-terminated-in-fiery-explosion-over-pacific-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/2021\/09\/04\/rocket-terminated-in-fiery-explosion-over-pacific-ocean\/","title":{"rendered":"Rocket \u2018terminated\u2019 in fiery explosion over Pacific Ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. \u2014 A privately designed, unmanned rocket built to carry satellites was destroyed in an explosive fireball after suffering an \u201canomaly\u201d off the California coast during its first attempt at reaching Earth\u2019s orbit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Firefly Aerospace\u2019s Alpha rocket was \u201cterminated\u201d over the Pacific Ocean shortly after its 6:59 p.m. Thursday liftoff from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/04\/02\/vandenberg-likely-to-host-training-unit-for-new-intercontinental-ballistic-missiles\/\" target=\"_blank\">Vandenberg Space Force Base<\/a>, according to a base statement. Video from the San Luis Obispo Tribune showed the explosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/05\/14\/introducing-vandenberg-space-force-base-and-space-launch-delta-30\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1000w_q95-11-2.jpg-2.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Introducing: Vandenberg Space Force Base and Space Launch Delta 30<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Vandenberg Air Force Base on Friday afternoon will become Vandenberg Space Force Base \u2013 the third installation to adopt the new service\u2019s moniker so far.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Firefly said an \u201canomaly\u201d occurred during the first-stage ascent that \u201cresulted in the loss of the vehicle\u201d about two minutes, 30 seconds into the flight. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/10\/02\/air-force-test-launches-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-from-vandenberg\/\" target=\"_blank\">Vandenberg<\/a> said a team of investigators will try to determine what caused the failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rocket was carrying a payload called DREAM, or the Dedicated Research and Education Accelerator Mission. It consisted of items from schools and other institutions, including small satellites and several demonstration spacecraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile we did not meet all of our mission objectives, we did achieve a number of them: successful first stage ignition, liftoff of the pad, progression to supersonic speed, and we obtained a substantial amount of flight data,\u201d Firefly said in a statement. The information will be applied to future missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3908\" height=\"2605\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246656192759.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-71709\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246656192759.jpg.jpg 3908w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246656192759.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246656192759.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246656192759.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246656192759.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246656192759.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3908px) 100vw, 3908px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rocket launched by Firefly Aerospace, the latest entrant in the New Space sector, is seen exploding minutes after lifting off from the central California coast on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. The Alpha rocket was &#8220;terminated&#8221; over the Pacific Ocean shortly after its 6:59 p.m. liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base, according to a base statement. (Len Wood\/For The Santa Maria Times via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Austin, Texas-based Firefly is developing various launch and space vehicles, including a lunar lander. Its Alpha rocket was designed to target <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/06\/03\/now-boarding-space-force-wants-to-turn-launch-ranges-into-rocket-airports\/\" target=\"_blank\">the growing market<\/a> for launching small satellites into Earth orbit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Standing 95 feet high, the two-stage Alpha is designed to carry up to 2,200 pounds of payload into low orbit. The company wants to be capable of launching Alphas twice a month. Launches would have a starting price of $15 million, according to Firefly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Firefly will have to catch up with two Long Beach, California-based companies that are ahead in the small satellite launch sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2423\" height=\"1615\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246650490299.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-71712\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246650490299.jpg.jpg 2423w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246650490299.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246650490299.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246650490299.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246650490299.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21246650490299.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2423px) 100vw, 2423px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rocket launched by Firefly Aerospace, the latest entrant in the New Space sector, is seen lifting off from the central California coast on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. The Alpha rocket was &#8220;terminated&#8221; over the Pacific Ocean shortly after its 6:59 p.m. liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base, according to a base statement. (AP Photo\/Matt Hartman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rocket Lab has put 105 satellites into orbit with multiple launches from a site in New Zealand and is developing another launch complex in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Virgin Orbit has put 17 satellites into space with two successful flights of its air-launched LauncherOne rocket, which is released from beneath the wing of a modified Boeing 747.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Firefly Aerospace\u2019s unmanned Alpha rocket, built to carry satellites, was destroyed in an explosive fireball after suffering an \u201canomaly.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":71706,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":16,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["news","middle-column","home"],"primary_category":"news"},"9":{"categories":["space","battlefield-tech","daily-brief","newsletters","home"],"primary_category":"space"},"10":{"categories":["daily-news-roundup","newsletters","space","military-space-report"],"primary_category":"space"}}},"categories":[101,24,88,16,26],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1344],"class_list":["post-39036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"EBN4ZD7WVBGZFK7FUTD2AGACJU","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/2021\/09\/04\/rocket-terminated-in-fiery-explosion-over-pacific-ocean\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Rocket \u2018terminated\u2019 in fiery explosion over Pacific Ocean - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Firefly Aerospace\u2019s unmanned Alpha rocket, built to carry satellites, was destroyed in an explosive fireball after suffering an \u201canomaly.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/2021\/09\/04\/rocket-terminated-in-fiery-explosion-over-pacific-ocean\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rocket \u2018terminated\u2019 in fiery explosion over Pacific Ocean\" \/>\n<meta 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