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.
Ismail Omar Guelleh has been re-elected for a sixth term with 97.8% of the vote, according to state media, extending his nearly three-...
Kazakhstan and Armenia are moving to deepen bilateral ties as shifting dynamics in the South Caucasus reopen long-blocked transport routes and crea...
Australia and Singapore have agreed to deepen cooperation on energy security as global fuel markets come under strain from disruption linked to the...
Israeli and Lebanese envoys are set to meet in Washington on Tuesday in a rare U.S.-driven diplomatic effort to halt escalating violence between...
Myanmar’s newly installed president, Min Aung Hlaing, has said his government faces major challenges and must work to restore the country&rsq...
Ismail Omar Guelleh has been re-elected for a sixth term with 97.8% of the vote, according to state media, extending his nearly three-decade hold on power in the small but strategically significant East African nation.
Kazakhstan and Armenia are moving to deepen bilateral ties as shifting dynamics in the South Caucasus reopen long-blocked transport routes and create new economic opportunities.
Australia and Singapore have agreed to deepen cooperation on energy security as global fuel markets come under strain from disruption linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Israeli and Lebanese envoys are set to meet in Washington on Tuesday in a rare U.S.-driven diplomatic effort to halt escalating violence between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul and Beijing saying the meetings focused on easing differences and improving relations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Vice President JD Vance have arrived in Islamabad for talks aimed at easing regional tensions, as Pakistan hosts the discussions. Meanwhile, Lebanon and Israel are set to hold rare negotiations in Washington next Tuesday.
Memorial events were held in Tehran’s main squares on Wednesday (8 April) to mark the 40th day since the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during U.S.-Israeli attacks on 28 February.
NASA’s Artemis II crew has returned safely to Earth after completing a landmark journey around the Moon, marking the first crewed lunar mission in more than half a century.
The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission are preparing to return to Earth after completing a groundbreaking journey around the Moon, with a Pacific Ocean splashdown expected off the coast of San Diego at around 01:00 BST (12:00 GMT).
Astronauts aboard Artemis II have described the emotional toll of their historic journey as they prepare for a high-risk “fireball” re-entry. The crew is set to splash down off California on Friday (10 April) after travelling farther than any humans in history.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke to astronauts on the Artemis II mission on Wednesday, celebrating the first Canadian to fly around the moon and marking a lighter moment in U.S.-Canadian relations that have been strained under U.S. President Donald Trump.
The four astronauts aboard Artemis II briefly lost contact with Earth while flying behind the Moon, then regained it during a dramatic lunar far-side flyby.
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