A Firefly Aerospace rocket failed to deliver its payload to orbit on Tuesday, creating a cloud of debris in the sky before falling back down toward an ocean crash.

Firefly said in a post on X that the mishap occurred during separation of Alpha's core stage booster with its second stage roughly two and a half minutes after liftoff. The faulty separation "impacted the Stage 2 Lightning engine nozzle, putting the vehicle in a lower than planned orbit."

Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket suffered a technical issue on Tuesday as it ascended into space on its sixth flight, causing a Lockheed Martin satellite it was supposed to place into orbit to crash into the Pacific Ocean.