VIDEO: Firefly Aerospace rocket explodes during testing in Central Texas

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Firefly Aerospace rocket exploded during testing at its Central Texas testing center on Monday, according to Firefly Aerospace.

The testing happened at Firefly’s facility in Briggs, which is located north of Austin near Florence.

This means that the upcoming mission for Alpha FLTA007 Rocket will not take to the sky again any time soon.

This isn’t the first time a rocket exploded at an Aerospace facility. KXAN reported in 2020

that an “anomaly” happened during a rocket test at the Burnet County facility in Briggs.

“We learn from each test to improve our designs and build a more reliable system. We will share more information on the path forward at a later date,” the space company said.

The company said it is assessing the impact from the event, which it referred to as “a loss of the stage.” Additionally, no other facilities were impacted.

One of those facilities is located in Cedar Park. KXAN reported in 2022 that the company employs around 500 people from the Austin area. It does not test rockets like the Briggs facility does.