What to expect from the release
The launch is to take place from the Firefly launch site (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The goal of the mission, called Alpha Flight 2, is to deliver satellites into low Earth orbit. These include payloads that are re-creations of the payloads that were lost in the first launch attempt in September last year. Payloads included in the mission include a three-module CubeSat called Serenity by the Teachers in Space team, which carries a suite of sensors and an Earth-facing camera designed for educational purposes. NASA TechEdSat-15 is another three-module CubeSat, which is a test of an exo-brake device designed to use the pull of Earth’s atmosphere to slow and steer satellites. And PicoBus is a developer that will deliver eight tiny satellites, called picosatellites, to test an open-source approach to telecommunications constellations. The intention is to deploy the payloads about an hour after liftoff. The Alpha rocket that carries the payloads is nearly 100 feet tall and 71 inches in diameter and is made of a lightweight carbon fiber composite.
How to watch the launch
Firefly will live stream the launch attempt with its partner, Everyday Astronaut. The live stream is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT) on Sunday, September 11, with the release itself scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT). The link to the live stream will be available on the Firefly website, or you can go directly to the Everyday Astronaut page about the mission.
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