Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket suffered a technical failure after launch on Tuesday, causing a Lockheed Martin satellite to crash into the Pacific Ocean.
About two minutes after liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Alpha’s upper-stage engine nozzle broke off during separation, "substantially reducing the engine's thrust," Firefly said.
Despite continuing to ascend to 320 kilometres, the rocket failed to reach orbit and reentered the atmosphere, impacting safely north of Antarctica.
The mission, Alpha’s sixth, was meant to carry Lockheed’s LM 400 Technology Demonstrator, designed to test technologies for defence clients. A Lockheed spokesman said lessons from the project would benefit future customers.
Firefly’s livestream showed debris detaching during ascent, and the company later deleted an initial post acknowledging a lower-than-planned orbit. An investigation with Lockheed, the U.S. Space Force, and FAA is underway.
The failure marks Alpha’s fourth setback in six attempts since 2021. Firefly, aiming to compete with SpaceX, has seen mixed fortunes, including a moon landing earlier this year.
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Officials in Congo are hopeful that ongoing negotiations with the United States will yield a landmark investment agreement in critical minerals, alongside a peace deal with Rwanda to end a deadly rebellion in eastern Congo, by the end of June.
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Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has been named Premier League Player of the Season after a record-breaking year in which he led his team to the title and set new standards for goal contributions.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to "true multilateralism" during a visit to Jakarta, signaling deeper cooperation with Indonesia amid ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions.
Russia launched a major overnight missile and drone attack across Ukraine on May 24–25, killing at least 12 people, including three children, in one of the war’s deadliest assaults.
Officials in Congo are hopeful that ongoing negotiations with the United States will yield a landmark investment agreement in critical minerals, alongside a peace deal with Rwanda to end a deadly rebellion in eastern Congo, by the end of June.
Uzbekistan’s historic city of Samarkand has been declared the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2025 by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has imposed strict restrictions on journalists’ access within the Pentagon, limiting movement in key areas without official escort, in what the Department says is a move to prevent information leaks.
Belgian security agents bugged Huawei’s VIP box at RSC Anderlecht stadium as part of a corruption probe involving EU lawmakers and suspected lobbying by the Chinese tech giant.
Tensions flare in the India-France Rafale deal as France refuses to share the fighter jet’s source code, limiting India’s ability to integrate indigenous weapons and reducing its combat autonomy.
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AnewZ takes to the streets of Yerevan and Baku to ask a simple yet deeply complex question: How do you see peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan? In the first part of our special report, we hear the hopes, doubts, and scars still shaping people’s perspectives on both sides.
Anton Kobyakov, adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum that the USSR’s dissolution was legally invalid and that the Soviet Union still exists under constitutional law, framing the Ukraine war as an “internal process.”
Kyiv faced a large-scale Russian drone and missile assault overnight, with explosions and gunfire echoing throughout the city, forcing residents to shelter in subway stations.
A Florida judge has ruled that a mother’s lawsuit can proceed against AI startup Character.ai, following the suicide of her 14-year-old son who allegedly became addicted to the company’s chatbot app.
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Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has confirmed that at least 69,461 customers had personal and financial information stolen in a months-long data breach, which the company disclosed last week.
Taiwan's Computex tech show brought together thousands of international participants on Tuesday, showcasing the highly advanced Artificial Intelligence and robotic systems.
Russia launched a major overnight missile and drone attack across Ukraine on May 24–25, killing at least 12 people, including three children, in one of the war’s deadliest assaults.
Officials in Congo are hopeful that ongoing negotiations with the United States will yield a landmark investment agreement in critical minerals, alongside a peace deal with Rwanda to end a deadly rebellion in eastern Congo, by the end of June.
Uzbekistan’s historic city of Samarkand has been declared the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2025 by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has imposed strict restrictions on journalists’ access within the Pentagon, limiting movement in key areas without official escort, in what the Department says is a move to prevent information leaks.
Belgian security agents bugged Huawei’s VIP box at RSC Anderlecht stadium as part of a corruption probe involving EU lawmakers and suspected lobbying by the Chinese tech giant.
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