Firefly Aerospace launches NASA-sponsored cubesats
Top Stories Tamfitronics Firefly Aerospace launched its Alpha rocket July 4 on a mission carrying eight NASA-sponsored cubesats. Credit: Firefly Aerospace/Trevor MahlmannTOKYO Firefly Aerospace placed eight cubesats into orbit on a mission funded by NASA on the first flight of the companys Alpha rocket since an upper stage malfunction more than half a year ago.The Alpha rocket lifted off from a foggy Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 12:04 a.m. Eastern July 4. A launch attempt July 2 was scrubbed after a ground equipment issue halted the countdown just before ignition of the rockets first stage engines.The rocket started deploying its payload of eight cubesats about 35 minutes after the upper stage shut down, a process expected to last about 11 minutes according to a timeline provided by Firefly. The orbit was a...