Firefly Aerospace Submits Accident Investigation Report to FAA

Firefly made an Alpha rocket accident investigation report (photo: dock. Firefly Aerospace)

JAKARTA – Firefly Aerospace, a private aerospace company, has completed an investigation report regarding the failed launch of the Alpha FLTA004 commercial mission in December last year.

The Accident Investigation Report was submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday, February 20. In the report, Firefly explains the root cause of Alpha's second stage failure and the corrective actions.

Firefly Aerospace CEO Bill Weber said the report was created by a joint team working together over several months. The results of the report will correct errors in the Alpha rocket and launch system in the future.

"Going forward, the important long-term outcome will be the rapid and thorough maturation of Alpha as a reliable and market-demanded metric ton class rocket, which is the dedication and result of Firefly," said Weber, quoted Tuesday, February 21.

This Accident Investigation Report was prepared based on the results of investigations from the Accident Investigation Team and the Independent Review Team. The production of the report was also observed by the FAA, Lockheed Martin, NASA, the US Space Force, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The results of the investigation stated that the Alpha rocket accident occurred due to an error in the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) software algorithm. This error prevented the Reaction Control System (RCS) from working before the second stage engine started.

As a result, Lockheed Martin's Electronically Steered Antenna payload failed to launch into the proper orbit. Even though it has reached orbit, the antenna payload must return to Earth and undergo a process of de-orbit or destruction.

Before re-entering Earth's atmosphere, Lockheed's payload successfully completed its primary mission, namely the rapid commissioning of the satellite after insertion. Lockheed also said that their antenna demonstration went according to the testing process.