"Fly the Lightning" – Firefly Alpha (Fl 4) – Vandenberg SLC-2W – 22.12.2023 17:32 UTC

[zandr]

https://fireflyspace.com/missions/fly-the-lightning/

Mission Name: Fly the Lightning
Mission Type: Dedicated Commercial Launch
Customer: Lockheed Martin
Vehicle: Alpha FLTA004 Rocket
Launch Site: Firefly SLC-2, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA
Primary Launch Window: December 2023 - TBA
Backup Launch Window: December 2023 - TBA
Payload: Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) Demo
...

[zandr]

Там же

Mission Summary

Alpha FLTA004, called Fly the Lightning, will launch a demonstrator payload for Lockheed Martin in low Earth orbit to help get on-orbit capabilities in the hands of U.S. warfighters faster. As a secondary objective, the mission team will further demonstrate responsive space capabilities by tracking and improving the total working hours required from payload receival to launch readiness compared to Alpha FLTA003, the record-breaking VICTUS NOX mission. During the final launch operations, the mission team will encapsulate and mate the payload to Firefly's Alpha rocket using a similar responsive timeline. Our rapid, iterative operations and robust facilities, including Firefly's payload processing facility at our launch site, allows the team to quickly ready the payload and rocket for liftoff.
READ THE PRESS RELEASE

Payload

Firefly's Alpha rocket will launch Lockheed Martin's new wideband Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) technology integrated on a Terran Orbital Nebula satellite bus. Developed within Lockheed Martin Space's Ignite organization using a proprietary design, the ESA payload will demonstrate faster on-orbit sensor calibration to deliver rapid capabilities to U.S. warfighters. The ESA sensor is expected to calibrate in a fraction of the time it takes to operationalize traditional on-orbit sensors, which historically can take months to be powered on, fully calibrated and ready to perform their mission.

[zandr]

https://twitter.com/Firefly_Space/status/1729202851245592598

Firefly Aerospace  @Firefly_Space
#FLTA004 update: Our next Alpha flight called Fly the Lightning will launch a dedicated payload for @LockheedMartin as we continue to support the responsive space needs of our customers. This mission will help get on-orbit capabilities in the hands of U.S. warfighters faster. The Firefly team is concurrently ramping up for Alpha FLTA005 for NASA. Get more details on our upcoming missions here: https://fireflyspace.com/missions/

[zandr]

https://news.lockheedmartin.com/ESA_payload_demonstrator

Lockheed Martin Technology Demonstration To Showcase Faster On-Orbit Sensor Calibration

Mission to Cut Delivery Time and Bring Capabilities to the Warfighter Faster

^{Lockheed Martin's latest technology demonstration is designed to showcase a unique, highly producible Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) on orbit.}

DENVER, Colo., Nov. 27, 2023 – Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will soon launch a unique wideband Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) payload demonstrator to show the company's investment in advanced technology to perform missions faster once on orbit. 
Based on an innovative, proprietary design, Lockheed Martin expects to calibrate this new ESA sensor in a fraction of the time it takes to operationalize traditional on-orbit sensors, which historically can take months to be powered on, fully calibrated and ready to perform their mission.
The payload demonstrator, which will launch aboard Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket, extends Lockheed Martin's significant investment in scalable wideband ESA technology development to showcasing an actual on-orbit capability. This technology is critical to future remote sensing architectures.

Спойлер

"Our customers' mission needs and operational tempo have increased dramatically," said Maria Demaree, vice president and general manager of National Security Space at Lockheed Martin Space. "We designed this technology to showcase how a highly producible ESA antenna could be built, launched, and quickly calibrated and fielded on orbit, in support of 21st Century Security."
The ESA payload is built on a novel, scalable design, using highly reliable commercial parts for quick, mass-producibility. For this demonstration, it was integrated on a Terran Orbital Nebula small satellite bus.
The payload, nicknamed Tantrum, was developed in Lockheed Martin Space's Ignite organization, a new team established to target three main missions: exploratory research and development, accelerating the pace of technology development and, lastly, introducing new product innovations. 
"Within the Ignite construct, the payload was developed from early architecture to flight-ready product in 24 months on an accelerated schedule piloting many streamlined agile processes," said Sonia Phares, vice president of Ignite at Lockheed Martin Space. "For this demonstration, Lockheed Martin has invested its own resources and is embracing more calculated risks from initial development through on-orbit operations to bring new technologies to the forefront of space faster and to keep our customers ahead of ready."
The payload demonstrator is expected to launch in December on a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket as part of the agreement with Lockheed Martin that Firefly announced in June. Most recently in September, Firefly's Alpha successfully launched the U.S. Space Force's VICTUS NOX responsive space mission following a 24-hours' notice. 
Lockheed Martin also is producing several other self-funded technology demonstrator spacecraft, including Pony Express 2, which will further demonstrate mesh networking among satellites, and the Tactical Satellite, which will demonstrate on-orbit processing, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. These on-orbit demonstrators are part of an ongoing investment plan to showcase technology maturity and new capabilities.
Earlier this year, the company successfully launched and tested its In-space Upgrade Satellite System (LM LINUSS™) demonstrator, which proved how small satellites can help upgrade and sustain space architectures with new capabilities.
 
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
Please follow @LMNews on X for the latest announcements and news across the corporation, and @LMSpace to learn more about the latest technologies, missions and people driving the future of space.

[свернуть]

[zandr]

Firefly Aerospace  @Firefly_Space
Our dedicated, hardworking Alpha launch crew successfully completed a static fire over the weekend. As part of our "test what you fly" approach, these full-duration hot fires verify all systems are GO for launch. Stay tuned for more on Alpha #FLTA004 #FlyTheLightning for @LockheedMartin. https://fireflyspace.com/missions/fly-the-lightning/

Провели статический огневой тест.

[C-300-2]

Учитывая наименование компании (ФоерФлай) и двигателя второй ступени (Лайтнинг), название полёта специфичное

[zandr]

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7307

Fly the Lightning
Launch Time
Wed Dec 20, 2023 19:48 GMT+3

На официальном сайте пока - молчок.

[zandr]

https://fireflyspace.com/missions/fly-the-lightning/

Mission Name: Fly the Lightning
Mission Type: Dedicated Commercial Launch
Customer: Lockheed Martin
Vehicle: Alpha FLTA004 Rocket
Launch Site: Firefly SLC-2, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA
Launch Date: No Earlier Than December 20, 2023
Launch Window: 9:18 am - 9:38 am PST
Payload: Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) Demo

20:18 мск

[Liss]

Комплект уведомлений на 20 и 21 декабря:

!CARF 12/427 ZLA AIRSPACE DCC FIRFLY ALPHA LITNING 23-1 STNR ALT
RESERVATION WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 345300N1203000W TO 345000N1201200W
TO 344600N1200400W TO 343600N1195700W TO 342700N1195800W TO
342000N1201500W TO 341800N1204500W TO 335100N1222200W TO
311500N1294000W TO 313200N1293400W TO 313800N1295000W TO
331900N1252500W TO 341900N1223700W TO 344800N1205700W TO POINT OF
ORIGIN.
SFC-UNL
2312201718-2312201823
CREATED: 18 Dec 2023 21:29:00
SOURCE: KDZZNAXX

!CARF 12/429 ZAK AIRSPACE DCC FIRFLY ALPHA LITNING 23-1 STNR ALT
RESERVATION WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 345300N1203000W TO 345000N1201200W
TO 344600N1200400W TO 343600N1195700W TO 342700N1195800W TO
342000N1201500W TO 341800N1204500W TO 335100N1222200W TO
311500N1294000W TO 313200N1293400W TO 313800N1295000W TO
331900N1252500W TO 341900N1223700W TO 344800N1205700W TO POINT OF
ORIGIN.
SFC-UNL
2312201718-2312201823
CREATED: 18 Dec 2023 21:31:00
SOURCE: KDZZNAXX

!CARF 12/428 ZAK AIRSPACE DCC FIRFLY ALPHA LITNING 23-1 AREA B STNR
ALT RESERVATION WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 313200N1293400W TO
305400N1294700W TO 302500N1310900W TO 303800N1311900W TO
294300N1333300W TO 282600N1363400W TO 283200N1363600W TO
295200N1335200W TO 305500N1313200W TO 310600N1314000W TO
315000N1301900W TO POINT OF ORIGIN.
SFC-UNL
2312201718-2312201936
CREATED: 18 Dec 2023 21:30:00
SOURCE: KDZZNAXX

!FDC 3/7277 ZLA CA..AIRSPACE VANDENBERG SFB, CA..TEMPORARY FLIGHT
RESTRICTIONS. 
      PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 91.143, SPACE OPS AREA, ACFT OPS
ARE PROHIBITED WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 345300N1203000W
(MQO134025.5) TO 345000N1201200W (GVO327018.9) TO 344600N1200400W
(GVO349014.1) TO 343600N1195700W (GVO043008.1) TO 342700N1195800W
(GVO112007.9) TO 342000N1201500W (GVO198014.2) TO 341800N1203700W
(GVO226029.5) TO 342100N1204100W (GVO234031.3) TO 343000N1205200W
(GVO251038.5) TO 344100N1205200W (MQO173034.5) TO 344900N1205300W
(MQO177026. TO POINT OF ORIGIN SFC-UNL 
EFFECTIVE 2312201718 UTC (0918 LOCAL 12/20/23) UNTIL 2312201936 UTC
(1136 LOCAL 12/20/23). SPACE OPS AREA: ACFT OPS ARE PROHIBITIED
EXC AS SPECIFIED BLW AND/OR UNLESS AUTH BY ATC: A. ACFT SUPPORTING
THE RECOVERY OF THE SPACE VEHICLE ARE EXEMPT FM THIS TFR. B.
PILOTS MUST CONSULT ALL NOTAMS REGARDING THIS OPS AND MAY CONTACT
ZLA FOR CURRENT AIRSPACE STATUS. 
THE LOS ANGELES /ZLA/ ARTCC, TEL 661-265-8205, IS THE CDN FAC.
2312201718-2312201936
CREATED: 18 Dec 2023 16:25:00
SOURCE: KDZZNAXX


!CARF 12/434 ZLA AIRSPACE DCC FIRFLY ALPHA LITNING 23-1 AREA A STNR
ALT RESERVATION WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 345300N1203000W TO
345000N1201200W TO 344600N1200400W TO 343600N1195700W TO
342700N1195800W TO 342000N1201500W TO 341800N1204500W TO
335100N1222200W TO 311500N1294000W TO 313200N1293400W TO
313800N1295000W TO 331900N1252500W TO 341900N1223700W TO
344800N1205700W TO POINT OF ORIGIN SFC-UNL 2312211718-2312211823
CREATED: 19 Dec 2023 11:39:00
SOURCE: KDZZNAXX

!CARF 12/436 ZAK AIRSPACE DCC FIRFLY ALPHA LITNING 23-1 AREA A STNR
ALT RESERVATION WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 345300N1203000W TO
345000N1201200W TO 344600N1200400W TO 343600N1195700W TO
342700N1195800W TO 342000N1201500W TO 341800N1204500W TO
335100N1222200W TO 311500N1294000W TO 313200N1293400W TO
313800N1295000W TO 331900N1252500W TO 341900N1223700W TO
344800N1205700W TO POINT OF ORIGIN SFC-UNL 2312211718-2312211823
CREATED: 19 Dec 2023 11:39:00
SOURCE: KDZZNAXX

!CARF 12/435 ZAK AIRSPACE DCC FIRFLY ALPHA LITNING 23-1 AREA B STNR
ALT RESERVATION WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 313200N1293400W TO
305400N1294700W TO 302500N1310900W TO 303800N1311900W TO
294300N1333300W TO 282600N1363400W TO 283200N1363600W TO
295200N1335200W TO 305500N1313200W TO 310600N1314000W TO
315000N1301900W TO POINT OF ORIGIN SFC-UNL 2312211718-2312211936
CREATED: 19 Dec 2023 11:39:00
SOURCE: KDZZNAXX

!FDC 3/7280 ZLA CA..AIRSPACE VANDENBERG SFB, CA..TEMPORARY FLIGHT
RESTRICTIONS. 
      PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 91.143, SPACE OPS AREA, ACFT OPS
ARE PROHIBITED WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 345300N1203000W
(MQO134025.5) TO 345000N1201200W (GVO327018.9) TO 344600N1200400W
(GVO349014.1) TO 343600N1195700W (GVO043008.1) TO 342700N1195800W
(GVO112007.9) TO 342000N1201500W (GVO198014.2) TO 341800N1203700W
(GVO226029.5) TO 342100N1204100W (GVO234031.3) TO 343000N1205200W
(GVO251038.5) TO 344100N1205200W (MQO173034.5) TO 344900N1205300W
(MQO177026. TO POINT OF ORIGIN SFC-UNL 
EFFECTIVE 2312211718 UTC (0918 LOCAL 12/21/23) UNTIL 2312211936 UTC
(1136 LOCAL 12/21/23). SPACE OPS AREA: ACFT OPS ARE PROHIBITIED
EXC AS SPECIFIED BLW AND/OR UNLESS AUTH BY ATC: A. ACFT SUPPORTING
THE RECOVERY OF THE SPACE VEHICLE ARE EXEMPT FM THIS TFR. B.
PILOTS MUST CONSULT ALL NOTAMS REGARDING THIS OPS AND MAY CONTACT
ZLA FOR CURRENT AIRSPACE STATUS. 
LOS ANGELES /ZLA/ ARTCC, TEL 661-265-8205, IS THE CDN FACILITY.
2312211718-2312211936
CREATED: 18 Dec 2023 16:32:00
SOURCE: KDZZNAXX

[zandr]

Два часа назад:

Firefly Aerospace  @Firefly_Space
Happy launch day y'all! The countdown for Alpha #FLTA004 is underway. Teams are monitoring weather, which is currently a 30% go. Alpha stands ready to launch. Go Fly the Lightning! Watch live at T-60 minutes to liftoff scheduled for 9:18 am PST: https://youtube.com/live/QMJv-54Dpcc?si=Mk5KBCUU9OvZnbn7

Полчаса назад

Firefly Aerospace  @Firefly_Space
Today's launch attempt of our Alpha rocket has been scrubbed due to weather conditions. Firefly will work with the range to determine our next launch opportunity – stay tuned for more details.

Запуск отложен по плохой погоде.

[zandr]

Lukas C. H.  @GewoonLukas_
Per the latest update of the FAA's ATCSCC Advisory, it appears Firefly is now targeting Friday, December 22nd, for their next launch attempt of the "Fly The Lightning" mission. Currently looks like weather won't improve for an attempt tomorrow.
https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_otherdis.jsp?advn=47&adv_date=12202023&facId=ATCSCC&title=ATCSCC%20ADVZY%20047%20DCC%2012/20/2023%20OPERATIONS%20PLAN&titleDate=12/20/2023

[zandr]

Firefly Aerospace  @Firefly_Space
Twas the morning of launch and all throughout the pad
The rocket is ready and no issues to be had.

Today's T-0 for Alpha's Fly the Lightning Mission is 9:32am PST. Tune in to the livestream, beginning an hour before launch at youtube.com/live/QMJv-54Dpcc?si=-qnlE84k-t8hq7PV

[zandr]

Код Выделить Развернуть

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMJv-54Dpcc

Alpha FLTA004 Fly The Lightning
  Firefly Aerospace
The Fly the Lightning mission will deploy an Electronically Steered Antenna (ESA) payload developed by Lockheed Martin to demonstrate rapid delivery of on-orbit capabilities for U.S. warfighters. As a secondary objective, the mission team will further demonstrate responsive space capabilities by tracking and improving the total working hours required from payload receival to launch readiness compared to Alpha FLTA003, the record-breaking VICTUS NOX mission.
The Alpha FLTA004 Fly the Lightning mission is prepared to launch no earlier than December 22. The adjusted T-0 is 9:32:30 am PST with a 16 minute launch window.
During the final launch operations, the team will transport the payload faring to the launch pad and mate it to Firefly's Alpha rocket using similar responsive operations to VICTUS NOX. The launch is being observed by members of the U.S. Space Force Tactically Responsive Space team to inform future missions and the requirements for repeatable on-demand launch capabilities.
Fly the Lightning will launch from Firefly's SLC-2 complex at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California
For more details on the Alpha FLTA004 Fly the Lightning mission and livestream, visit https://fireflyspace.com/missions/fly....

[zandr]

Firefly Aerospace  @Firefly_Space
Update from the range's weather plane, conditions are still GREEN for today's mission!  GO Alpha, Fly the Lightning! #FLTA004

Погода "зелёная"!

[zandr]

Т-5 мин.
Вы не можете просматривать это вложение.
Отведена ферма обслуживания.

[zandr]

Т-2 мин.
Вы не можете просматривать это вложение.
ЦУП

[zandr]

Пуск!
Вы не можете просматривать это вложение.

[zandr]

Firefly Aerospace  @Firefly_Space
The Alpha #FLTA004 fairing separated and jettisoned as planned

[zandr]

Вы не можете просматривать это вложение.
 Успех!
Аплодисменты!

[AlexSPB]

Ищо второе включение в апогее.