Author Topic: Firefly Alpha FLTA004 : Tantrum : VSFB SLC-2W : 22 Dec 2023 (17:32 UTC) (Read 42117 times)

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #60 on:** 12/22/2023 04:38 pm »

Fairing sep

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #61 on:** 12/22/2023 04:40 pm »

S2 burn

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #62 on:** 12/22/2023 04:41 pm »

SECO and nominal transfer orbit achieved!

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #63 on:** 12/22/2023 04:50 pm »

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Firefly is go for launch.

youtube.com/watch?v=LItoeS…

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1738250096838410511

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Strongback retract.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #64 on:** 12/22/2023 04:52 pm »

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1738251351463718966

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LAUNCH! Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket (FLTA004) - with the "Fly the Lightning" mission - launches from Vandenberg SLC-2W.

Overview: nasaspaceflight.com/2023/12/fly-th… - by Tyler Gray (@TylerG1998)

Livestream➡️youtube.com/watch?v=LItoeS…

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Staging 1-2.

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1738253544875016694

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SECO-1 - nominal.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #65 on:** 12/22/2023 04:54 pm »

Live stream is ending with some launch replays

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #66 on:** 12/22/2023 05:14 pm »

https://twitter.com/firefly_space/status/1738258057820336416

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Beautiful picture-perfect view of our Alpha rocket as we lifted off from @vandenberg_sfb at 9:32 a.m. PST this morning. Next, our second-stage engine will place the @lockheedmartin payload in its final orbit! Photo credit: Firefly Aerospace/Trevor Mahlmann

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #67 on:** 12/22/2023 05:15 pm »

Launch highlights

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #68 on:** 12/22/2023 05:17 pm »

https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer/status/1738258914725278032

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Beautiful launch of @Firefly_Space's Alpha rocket this morning from Vandenberg SFB. @NASASpaceflight

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #69 on:** 12/22/2023 05:28 pm »

Based on this earlier tweet, second S2 burn should have happened by now

https://twitter.com/firefly_space/status/1738253302649798826

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Alpha reached orbit and the second stage engine shut off as planned. In about 40 minutes, we’ll briefly relight Firefly’s second stage engine to circularize our orbit. GO ALPHA, way to Fly the Lightning!! #FLTA004 @LockheedMartin

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #70 on:** 12/22/2023 06:40 pm »

This tweet was before expected circularisation burn:

https://twitter.com/lmspace/status/1738258343695954136

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Congratulations @Firefly_Space on today's launch of Alpha #FLTA004 and thanks for the lift! Our Electronically Steerable Antenna technology demonstrator is on its way to orbit. 🛰️

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #71 on:** 12/22/2023 06:50 pm »

https://twitter.com/notcislunar/status/1738267855966392806

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.@Firefly_Space's Alpha #FLTA004 takes off from SLC-2W at Vandenberg SFB, carrying @LMSpace's Tantrum demo satellite to low Earth orbit.

edkyle99 · « **Reply #72 on:** 12/22/2023 07:02 pm »

2.5 hours for this cone of silence. Stage and payload should be approaching end of second orbit.

- Ed Kyle

GewoonLukas_ · « **Reply #73 on:** 12/22/2023 07:27 pm »

Well that's not good

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Two objects cataloged by Space Force in 215 x 523 km x 140.0 deg orbit. If this is the LM satellite and the Firefly second stage, it may suggest the second stage restart was not successful.

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1738294781032202553

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #74 on:** 12/22/2023 07:34 pm »

Hopefully the silence means they are still trouble shooting and haven’t yet written off achieving the correct orbit.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #75 on:** 12/22/2023 07:38 pm »

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1738296967271174623

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Groundtrack of the 2023-202A/202B objects from SpaceTrack TLEs, consistent with being the Firefly launch. Orbital elements have epoch of 1907 UTC, which should be after the circ burn, and the fact there are two objects argues against it being a mesaurement pre-SECO2.

jimvela · « **Reply #76 on:** 12/22/2023 07:44 pm »

Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 12/22/2023 07:34 pm

Hopefully the silence means they are still trouble shooting and haven’t yet written off achieving the correct orbit.

If the payload separated, and is in the wrong orbit, then maybe some kind of payload operations can be salvaged.
That's about the best possible outcome if the burn didn't happen correctly.
If the payload separated the upper stage is unable to help it, but at least if it cleanly separated then it (might) be able to deploy its' solar array(s) be commanded and maybe even maneuver.

The ground segment will be scrambling as it won't be in the predicted orbit, so all the predicted ephemeris products given to the ground segment will be wrong and trying to track/communicate with the payload will be a mad scramble. (Assumes a ground based space communications network is in use and not something like TDRSS)

If the payload didn't separate cleanly from the upper stage and still there are two or more objects in the transfer orbit, then something went very very wrong with the upper stage and it's almost certainly LOM at that point.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #77 on:** 12/22/2023 08:47 pm »

Quote from: GewoonLukas_ on 12/22/2023 07:27 pm

Quote from: JCM tweet
Two objects cataloged by Space Force in 215 x 523 km x 140.0 deg orbit. If this is the LM satellite and the Firefly second stage, it may suggest the second stage restart was not successful.

Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 12/22/2023 07:34 pm

Hopefully the silence means they are still trouble shooting and haven’t yet written off achieving the correct orbit.

How much delta-v does the satellite have? The L-M team could still raise the perigee to a closer-to-circular orbit.

Jrcraft · « **Reply #78 on:** 12/22/2023 08:52 pm »

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 12/22/2023 08:47 pm

Quote from: GewoonLukas_ on 12/22/2023 07:27 pm
Quote from: JCM tweet
Two objects cataloged by Space Force in 215 x 523 km x 140.0 deg orbit. If this is the LM satellite and the Firefly second stage, it may suggest the second stage restart was not successful.

Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 12/22/2023 07:34 pm
Hopefully the silence means they are still trouble shooting and haven’t yet written off achieving the correct orbit.

How much delta-v does the satellite have? The L-M team could still raise the perigee to a closer-to-circular orbit.

Here is that from the the fact sheet for the Nebula bus as well as the fact sheet itself.

catdlr · « **Reply #79 on:** 12/22/2023 08:53 pm »

Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 12/22/2023 07:34 pm

Hopefully the silence means they are still trouble shooting and haven’t yet written off achieving the correct orbit.

While we wait for word and status, I wanted to thank our NSF staff on the Internet and on-site for their coverage of this flight, special thanks to FurtureSpaceTravel for today's coverage. I was not able to attend live but FTS updates brought me up to date.