Rocket explodes at Firefly testing site
A large, fiery plume rose over Briggs on Sept. 29 when a rocket exploded during testing on Firefly Aerospace property. Screenshot from video shared by Shelina Faurie on Facebook
A rocket exploded during testing at the Firefly Aerospace facility in Briggs on Sept. 29. While a large fiery plume could be seen in the sky, damage was reportedly minimal and no injuries were reported. A small grassfire sparked by the explosion was contained to the space company’s testing and manufacturing site, located in northeast Burnet County.
The explosion happened early Monday afternoon, according to Burnet County Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio, who briefed the Commissioners Court on the matter during its Tuesday meeting.
“The mishap at the rocket test at 12:30 (p.m.) at Firefly resulted in a small wildland fire that was easily contained,” Marchio said. “The fire did not leave the property.”
He said the blaze only burned less than an acre due to Firefly keeping grass and brush near the testing sites short to prevent fires from spreading.
Northeast Burnet County Fire Rescue, the Bertram Fire Department, and Williamson County Emergency Services District No. 7 assisted Firefly in putting out the fire.
Firefly Aerospace, which is headquartered in Cedar Park, owns roughly 200 acres of property in Briggs, where it manufactures and tests rocket components. Nothing is actually launched from the site, but the company conducts rocket testing almost daily.
This is the most prominent testing mishap since Firefly took up residence at its Briggs location in 2014. The last major event was in 2020, when an engine test caused a brief fire. Burnet County first responders shut down traffic and evacuated nearby homes out of an abundance of caution.
A mission update from Firefly noted that the Sept. 29 test was for an Alpha Flight 7 rocket model, which was to be used in a commercial launch for customer Lockheed Martin scheduled later this year out of Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
A statement issued by the company after the explosion reads:
“During testing at Firefly’s facility in Briggs, Texas, the first stage of Firefly’s Alpha Flight 7 rocket experienced an event that resulted in a loss of the stage.
“Proper safety protocols were followed, and all personnel are safe. The company is assessing the impact to its stage test stand, and no other facilities were impacted.
“Regular testing is part of Firefly’s philosophy—we test each critical component, engine, and vehicle stage to ensure it operates within our flight requirements before we ship to the launch pad.
“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.”