Firefly launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base scheduled for Friday

VANDENBERG, Calif. – A Firefly Aerospace rocket launch will take off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sept. 30 after multiple delays and cancellations.

The rocket was supposed to take its inaugural launch from the base on Sept. 2, 2021, but dramatically exploded mid-air and lost the vehicle. Firefly officials said at the time that the rocket experienced an anomaly.

The aerospace company attempted its second rocket launch on Sept. 11, but was scrubbed after multiple delays. It was then rescheduled for Sept. 12, but was also scrubbed.

Firefly officials now say that they have secured a launch window on Friday, Sept. 30 between 12:01 a.m. and 2 a.m., with a backup opportunity at the same time on Saturday, Oct. 1.

The "To the Black" rocket will send out multiple satellites to low-earth orbit, which will collect flight data for educational analysis and comparisons to other flights and vehicles. The data collected will include temperatures, radiation, and atmospheric pressure.