Alpha FLTA0006 upper stage view
A camera on the second stage of Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket shows debris falling away and a damaged or missing nozzle shortly after stage separation April 29. Credit: Firefly Aerospace/NASASpaceFlight.com

Updated 2:15 p.m. Eastern with confirmation of launch failure.

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Jeff Foust writes about space policy, commercial space, and related topics for SpaceNews. He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science...