The Test Launch of the Astra Vehicle

The test launch on Saturday of a launch vehicle developed by the American company Astra failed. The broadcast was conducted on the company’s website.

Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – August 31, 2021 – Technology

The launch took place at 14:36 ??local time (1:36 Kyiv time on August 29) from the Pacific Spaceport on Kodiak Island, Alaska. When launched, the rocket initially deviated slightly and, without gaining height, shifted away from the launch pad, but after a few seconds still went up. After two and a half minutes of flight, the rocket’s engines shut down and it lost its stability, after which the broadcast from the cameras installed on it was interrupted.

“We encountered technical difficulties, but collected data on the flight in two and a half minutes,” the company said on Twitter. “Our team will study this data and use it in future launches.” Under the Astra contract with the US Space Force, the rocket was to deliver a test cargo into orbit. Another launch is scheduled for later this year.

The Astra launch vehicle, about 12 m long, is designed to launch small satellites into low Earth orbit. The rocket company from San Francisco, California, expects that its cheapness and small size, which allow it to be delivered to the launch site in conventional containers, will provide a competitive advantage in the space services market.

In 2020, Astra twice tested its rocket, but they failed – Astra never reached orbit.