WATCH: Astra Rocket 3 Launches from Cape Canaveral, Fails to Deliver NASA Payload to Orbit
By Space Coast Daily // February 10, 2022
will be Astra’s first launch out of Cape Canaveral
ABOVE VIDEO: Astra Space has announced that it plans to deploy its first satellite in orbit for NASA when it launches a Astra Rocket 3 (VCLS Demo 2) on Sunday, February 6 from Cape Canaveral.
BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – Astra Space launched their first rocket on Thursday from Cape Canaveral but announced a short time after the launch that the payloads failed to deliver to orbit, including a payload from NASA.
“We experienced an issue during today’s flight that resulted in the payloads not being delivered to orbit,” said a Astra Space spokesperson.
“We are deeply sorry to our customers NASA and the small satellite teams. More information will be provided after we complete a data review.”
The rocket lifted off at 3 p.m. ET.
The launch from Cape Canaveral was be conducted out of Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) and was Astra’s first launch out of Cape Canaveral.
Coverage of the launch can be seen on Space Coast Daily TV.
“This historic launch site has been prepared for a new commercial launch partner in less than year, which is a tremendous milestone for our combined team, and illustrates how SLD 45 sets the pace for access to space.” said Brigadier General Stephen Purdy, Commander of Space Launch Delta 45 and Director of the Eastern Range. “SLD 45, Space Florida, and Astra have moved at a rapid speed to demonstrate critical and responsive launch capabilities. We are excited to welcome Astra to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.”
Astra and Space Launch Delta 45, a part of the United States Space Force, enabled Astra to launch out of Cape Canaveral in record time – shortening the multi-year approval time to months.
“Launching out of the Cape allows us to serve customers with mid-inclination delivery needs, broadening our market,” said Martin Attiq, Chief Business Officer at Astra.
“This is an additional step in our global spaceport strategy and positions us to serve the broad low earth orbit (LEO) market.”
About Astra
Astra’s mission is to improve life on Earth from space by creating a healthier and more connected planet. Today, Astra offers the lowest cost-per-launch dedicated orbital launch service of any operational launch provider in the world. Astra delivered its first commercial payload into Earth orbit in 2021, making it the fastest company in history to reach this milestone, just five years after it was founded in 2016. Astra (NASDAQ: ASTR) was the first space launch company to be publicly traded on Nasdaq. Visit astra.com to learn more about Astra.
