The Astra Space rocket mission to send tiny NASA satellites tracking storms into orbit on Sunday failed after a second-stage booster engine shut down early in space. The failure occurred about 10 minutes after the successful take-off of Astra’s Rocket 3.3 at 1:43 p.m. ET (1743 GMT) from a launch point at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. “We had a nominal first-stage flight. However, the upper-stage engine shut down early and we did not deliver our payloads into orbit,” said Astra’s live commentator Amanda Durk Frye. The rocket carried two small satellites designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory to measure humidity and rainfall in tropical storm systems. It would be the first batch of a six-satellite constellation operated by NASA, the rest of which Astra also plans to launch in the future.
We had a nominal first stage flight. The upper stage closed early and we did not deliver the payloads on track. We shared our grief with @NASA and the payload team. More information will be provided after completing the full data check. – Astra (@Astra) June 12, 2022 The failure of the mission on Sunday was the second for the Astra this year as the newcomer attempted to launch the launch with the Rocket 3.3, a two-stage consumable vehicle capable of lifting 330 pounds (150 kg) of satellites into low-Earth orbit. Of the Astra’s seven attempts to reach orbit, which included unloaded test missions, two were successful – the first in November last year and the second in March. NASA is working with emerging rocket companies to launch low-cost scientific payloads as a way to stimulate growth in the rocket industry.
Although today’s launch with @Astra did not go as planned, the mission offered a great opportunity for new science and launch capabilities. https://t.co/9s30sDWJzz – Thomas Zurbuchen (@Dr_ThomasZ) June 12, 2022 “Although today’s launch with @Astra did not go as planned, the mission offered a great opportunity for new science and launch capabilities,” wrote Thomas Zurbuchen, head of NASA’s science unit overseeing the mission, on Twitter. “While we are frustrated at the moment, we know: There is value in taking risks in our overall NASA Science portfolio, because innovation is needed to lead.” (Report by Joey Roulette · Edited by Lisa Shumaker)
