"Stairway to Seven": ГММ – Firefly Alpha (FLTA007) – Vandenberg SLC-2W – 10.03.2026 00:50 UTC

[zandr]

а тут ретроградная?

Да. В позапрошлом посте - картинка с направлением запуска (череда запретных зон).

У Старлинка прямая орбита

Нет. Группу 17-23 запускали на наклонение 97 градусов.

Угол между направлениями этих двух запусков, на глаз, градусов 40-45.

[zandr]

https://x.com/FireflySpace/status/2030035337246802186

Firefly Aerospace  @FireflySpace
In collaboration with @SLDelta30 , Firefly confirmed March 9 as the next available launch date for Alpha Flight 7 with a backup day on March 10. The two-hour launch window opens at 5:50 pm PT, and our live broadcast with @NASAspaceflight will begin 20 minutes before liftoff. Alpha remains ready to launch the Stairway to Seven test flight. More to come soon. https://youtube.com/live/nyVbmoRXcvc

[zandr]

https://x.com/FireflySpace/status/2030819326152827235

Firefly Aerospace  @FireflySpace
Stepping into the Stairway to Seven! The team completed the launch readiness review and we are GO to move into final operations for Alpha Flight 7.
The two-hour launch window for this test flight will open at 5:50 pm PT tomorrow. Our livestream with @NASASpaceflight will begin 20 minutes before liftoff.

Движутся к пуску в намеченное ранее время.

[zandr]

Код Выделить Развернуть

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyVbmoRXcvc

Alpha Flight 7 "Stairway To Seven"
  Firefly Aerospace

Спойлер

Alpha Flight 7 is the last flown in the rocket's current configuration and serves as a test flight with the primary goal to achieve nominal first and second stage performance.
Flight 7 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. The Block II configuration includes a 7-foot increase to Alpha's length, consolidated batteries and avionics built in house, an enhanced thermal protection system, and stronger carbon composite structures built with automated machinery.
The subsystems tested on Flight 7, including the in-house avionics and thermal improvements, will allow Firefly to gain flight heritage and validate lessons learned ahead of the full configuration upgrade.
The Alpha FLTA007 Stairway To Seven mission is prepared to launch no earlier than Sunday, March 1, 2026. A 2 hour window begins at 4:50PM PST. Stairway To Seven will launch from Firefly's SLC-2 complex at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
For more details on the Alpha FLTA007 Stairway To Seven mission and live stream, visit https://fireflyspace.com/missions/alp...
Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables government and commercial customers to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for responsive space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with an approximate 24-hour notice. Firefly is also the only company to achieve a fully successful landing on the Moon. Established in 2017, Firefly's engineering, manufacturing, and test facilities are co-located in central Texas to enable rapid innovation. The company's small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles are built with common flight-proven technologies to enable speed, reliability, and cost efficiencies for each mission from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. For more information, visit www.fireflyspace.com.
Live stream production services for this launch are provided by NASASpaceflight.com, ‪@NASASpaceflight‬.

[свернуть]

[anik]

Непонятен смысл пуска последней ракеты-носителя модификации Block 1. Системы для Block 2 разумнее было бы отработать не в телеметрическом режиме на штатном носителе. А так получается, что сейчас летят без полезной нагрузки, и, возможно, в следующем пуске тоже. Хотя, может быть, найдутся желающие пожертвовать своими спутниками. Вон на японской Kairos с упрямым постоянством запускают...