US, NEW YORK (ORDO NEWS) — The test launch on Saturday of the carrier rocket, developed by the American company Astra, ended in failure. The broadcast was conducted on the company’s website.
The launch took place at 14:36 local time from the Pacific Spaceport on Kodiak Island (Alaska). When launched, the rocket at first deviated slightly and, without gaining altitude, shifted away from the launch pad, but after a few seconds it nevertheless rushed up. After two and a half minutes of flight, the rocket’s engines turned off and it lost stability, after which the broadcast from the cameras installed on it was interrupted.
“We ran into technical difficulties, but collected flight data in two and a half minutes,” the company said on Twitter . “Our team will study this data and use it in upcoming launches.” As part of the Astra contract with the US Space Force, the rocket was supposed to deliver a test load into orbit. Another launch is planned later this year.
Astra launch vehicle with a length of about 12 m is designed to launch small satellites into low-earth orbit. The company from San Francisco, California, which created the rocket, expects its low cost and small size, allowing it to be delivered to the launch site in conventional containers, will provide a competitive advantage in the space services market.
In 2020, Astra made two test launches of its rocket, but they ended in failure – the Astra never reached orbit.
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