[The livestream has ended. A replay of the webcast is available above.]
Astra Space interrupted its first launch attempt since the company went public, with the rocket’s engines firing for a moment and then shutting down.
The rocket did not rise from the ground due to the abortion of the launch and Astra said it will investigate the cause of the problem. The company expects to make another launch attempt as soon as Saturday.
Shares of Astra fell more than 10% in trading after business hours from Friday’s close, to $ 11.67, before partially rebounding and fell by about 6%.
A screenshot of the company’s live broadcast of the launch shows that the LV0006 rocket engines fired briefly before an abortion caused the attempt to be postponed.
Astra
Astra launches its LV0006 rocket from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska. The U.S. Space Force is the first customer to pay for an Astra launch, with a test payload flying over the rocket.
The vehicle measures 43 meters in height and adapts to the small rocket segment of the launch market. Astra’s goal is to launch as many small rockets as it can, with the goal of launching one rocket a day by 2025 and further lowering its price by $ 2.5 million.
The mission will test several upgrades of the Astra rocket since its last mission in December. Although that previous mission arrived in space, the rocket reached orbit.
LV0006 on the launch platform of Kodiak, Alaska.
Astra
The company window for this release lasts 16 days until September 11th. A delayed rocket launch attempt, known in the industry as a scrub, can occur for a variety of reasons, ranging from bad weather to a technical problem.
Astra has partnered with NASASpaceflight, a space industry content organization that is not affiliated with the U.S. agency, to broadcast the web launch.
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