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Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)
Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster) launched on Tue, Apr 29, 2025, 01:37 PM UTC — a Firefly Aerospace mission.
Launch FailureFirefly Aerospace
Lifted offNET Apr 2025
NET Tue, Apr 29, 2025, 01:37 PM UTC
Live coverage
Watch the webcast
Mission profile
The flight at a glance
Firefly AlphaVehicle
Firefly AerospaceProvider
Space Launch Complex 2WPad
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USALocation
TechnologyMission type
Low Earth OrbitOrbit
Flight sequence
Mission timeline
Key events from liftoff — ignition, staging, separation and deployment — with their times relative to T0.
- IgnitionT- 00:00:02
- LiftoffT+ 00:00:00
- SupersonicT+ 00:00:56
- Max-QT+ 00:01:06
- MECOT+ 00:02:33
- Stage 2 SeparationT+ 00:02:37
- SEST+ 00:02:39
- Fairing SeparationT+ 00:02:58
- SECOT+ 00:08:28
- Payload SeparationT+ 00:12:42
Flight simulation
Ascent to orbit
A representative gravity-turn climb for Firefly Alpha to Low Earth Orbit. Illustrative model — not this mission’s live telemetry.
Mission timeT+0:00
Altitude0.0 km
Velocity0.00 km/s
PhaseLiftoff
T+0:00 / 8:00
SimulatedRepresentative Firefly Alpha ascent profile — illustrative model, not this mission’s live telemetry.
The mission
FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)
Sixth flight of the Firefly Alpha small satellite launcher, launching the demonstration mission for Lockheed Martin's new LM400 satellite bus, which will carry a communications payload. The satellite bus is customizable to support different missions, including remote sensing, communications, imagery and radar Earth observations. It can also support different kinds of orbits and launch configurations.
Around this launch
Related news
No news linked to this launch yet
As coverage publishes, deduplicated articles about this mission will appear here.
Good to know
Frequently asked
What time does Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster) launch?
Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster) is scheduled to lift off Tue, Apr 29, 2025, 01:37 PM UTC.
Where can I watch Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)?
Watch the official live webcast embedded on this page — it goes live shortly before liftoff.
Who is launching Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)?
Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster) is an Firefly Aerospace mission flying on a Firefly Alpha.
Where does Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster) launch from?
It lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.