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Firefly Alpha | Stairway to Seven

March 12, 2026 at 12:50 AM UTC

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Firefly Alpha | Stairway to Seven launch image
Mission imagery · Firefly Alpha

Launch details

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March 12, 2026 at 12:50 AM UTC

Status: Launch Successful · Live feed refreshes every 30 seconds

Space Launch Complex 2W

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA · 34.7556, -120.6224

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Launch site
Space Launch Complex 2W

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Launch probability
Not published
Window opens
March 12, 2026 at 12:50 AM UTC
Window closes
March 12, 2026 at 2:50 AM UTC
Feed updated
March 14, 2026 at 3:27 AM UTC

Mission description

Firefly Alpha's Flight 7 is a test flight and return-To-Flight for the launch vehicle after its April 2025 launch failure. It will test and validate key systems ahead of Firefly’s Block II configuration upgrade on Flight 8 that’s designed to enhance reliability and manufacturability across the vehicle. Flight 7 is the last flown in Alpha’s current configuration and will test multiple Block II subsystems, including the in-house avionics and thermal improvements, to gain flight heritage and validate lessons learned ahead of the full configuration upgrade on Flight 8. This launch also delivered a demonstrator payload for Lockheed Martin.

Mission media

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Alpha Flight 7 "Stairway To Seven"

Full video record
Vehicle

Firefly Alpha

Firefly Alpha

Height

29.6 m

Diameter

1.82 m

LEO capacity

1,000 kg

Successful launches

4

Launch complex

Space Launch Complex 2W

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Vandenberg Space Force Base is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base, equivalent to an Air Force air base wing. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.

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Official links

Mission updates

Launch success.

March 12, 2026 at 2:13 AM UTC · Cosmic_Penguin

Liftoff.

March 12, 2026 at 12:50 AM UTC · Cosmic_Penguin

Official Webcast by Firefly Aerospace has started

March 12, 2026 at 12:31 AM UTC · LL2

Rescheduled for March 11 PDT.

March 11, 2026 at 6:47 PM UTC · Cosmic_Penguin

Scrubbed due to off-nominal readings during fluids loading.

March 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC · Cosmic_Penguin