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.

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.

Launch provider says a nozzle extension on the upper engine was lost during stage separation, preventing the rocket from reaching orbit.