Almost every other day, a space company or organization is sending out its rockets or spacecraft to be tested for flying to space. The concept of exploring space has become so common that even new and young companies are working towards it. This is a huge leap towards ensuring access to space and the ideas of space colonization, space tourism, and space travel. However, not all the trials and tests go successful. More often than not, they fail and very few manage to actually achieve the purpose.
Recently, a rocket startup company, Firefly Aerospace, aimed to send their Alpha rocket into space. However, the flight did not go as planned and it turned out to be a disaster. This happened on Thursday when the rocket blew up midflight in pieces.
The rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 2 at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at around 10 pm Eastern. Within two and a half minutes in the air, the rocket tumbled and lit up on fire. With the speed it was going, it looked like a giant fireball in the air. The panorama was mesmerizing.
“Alpha experienced an anomaly during first stage ascent that resulted in the loss of the vehicle,” the Austin, Texas-based aerospace firm said in a statement. “As we gather more information, additional details will be provided.” The explosion also gave off a massive amount of dark smoke.
The company’s engineers are currently working on finding out the main reason for this malfunction. In a statement, the company told that from the beginning of the flight, there was something off about the rocket. Hence, it had to stop its launch. This combines with the steering away of the rocket caused it to catch fire.