The unsuccessful launch of the new Alpha rocket is associated with the premature shutdown of the first-stage engine. After the problem made itself felt, the carrier was blown up.
On the second of September, the first launch of the Ukrainian-American Alpha rocket took place. Unfortunately, it was not successful: the rocket was blown up shortly after launch.
Firefly Aerospace, which developed the carrier, conducted an investigation and named the cause of the emergency. It was the premature stop of one of the four engines installed on the first stage. It shut down 15 seconds after starting: the engine stopped due to the fact that its main fuel supply valves were closed. All the circumstances have yet to be clarified.
Alpha rocket explosion
Image source: Firefly Aerospace
Firefly Aerospace has a curious history. Firefly Space Systems was founded in January 2014, and in 2017, CEO Tom Markusik declared bankruptcy. Soon the assets were bought by Ukrainian entrepreneur Maxim Polyakov.
The company sets an ambitious goal to make access to space more accessible through the introduction of innovations. A relatively small Alpha is just the first step. In the future, Firefly Aerospace wants to create a more powerful Beta carrier.