Firefly Aerospace successfully launched its Alpha rocket on March 11 during the “Stairway to Seven” mission, marking its seventh flight after two major setbacks in 2025.

Previous mishaps included a failed satellite deployment during the “Message in a Booster” mission and a first-stage explosion during prelaunch testing, which delayed development.

The launch achieved nominal performance, with successful stage separation, fairing ejection, and orbit insertion at 151 miles above Earth, delivering a demonstrator payload for Lockheed Martin.

Firefly plans to retire the Alpha Block I configuration and transition to Block II, which will be taller and feature upgraded avionics, power systems, and thermal protections, Space.com has reported.

The mission represents a key milestone for Firefly, which previously succeeded with its Blue Ghost lunar lander but has achieved full Alpha launch success only three times out of seven attempts.