Firefly Aerospace, a Cedar Park-based rocket company, has successfully tested its Alpha second stage rockets.
The test fires, conducted north of Cedar Park at its Briggs test facility, are the latest milestone in the startup's efforts to launch small satellites into space. In addition to being a rocket and looking cool, this latest set of tests also shows how Firefly's custom flight software is operated autonomously and how the rockets, often tested horizontally in initially phases, is ready to go in a vertical test.
Firefly will keep testing its rockets this year with plans for an initial launch in December next year at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Firefly says the second stage test "includes flight-configuration propulsion, structures and tankage, pressurization and propellant management systems and avionics."
The testing video release comes just a few weeks after Firefly announced it had signed a launch services agreement with Spaceflight, which will provide rideshare launch opportunities that could bring additional payload to Firefly's rockets.
The test fires also follow Firefly's October announcement that it’s teaming up with Denver-based York Space Systems to launch York’s S-CLASS satellites — up to four per launch. York’s small satellites are versatile enough to be configured for space startups, government clients and others.
