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#1 2021-08-27 18:37:50

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,750

Astra rocket

Astra to make third orbital launch attempt with LV0006

launch window that opened on Friday, August 27 at 2:00 PM PDT (21:00 UTC), with daily launch opportunities continuing through September 11.

LP-3B at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska.

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improved Rocket 3. We’ll be taking a test payload from the Space Force

The rocket’s first stage is powered by five electric pump-fed Delphin engines fueled by RP-X kerosene and liquid oxygen, each producing 6,500 pounds of thrust.

Once LV0006 departs Kodiak, the vehicle will fly south over the Pacific Ocean towards a 70-degree inclination orbit, targeting an altitude of 415 kilometers. Once the propellants in stage one are depleted, the rocket’s fairing and upper stage will separate, followed shortly after by the ignition of stage two, all approximately three minutes after liftoff.

Rocket 3.3’s upper stage is powered by a single pressure-fed Aether engine which produces 740 pounds of thrust. Once the upper stage and mass simulator reach orbital velocity, the engine will shut down, and a signal simulating payload deployment will be received. With no actual payload deployment planned, this will conclude the test flight approximately eight and a half minutes after launch.

A successful orbital insertion would clear the way for the first satellites to begin launching on Astra rockets. Customers on Astra’s manifest include the Space Force, NASA, Planet Labs, and Spire Global.

Much like a few others this is looking for small payloads to orbit.

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#2 2021-08-28 20:38:01

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,750

Re: Astra rocket

The flight was terminated about 2.5 minutes after liftoff.
Astra rocket fails to reach space during test launch for US military

Something appeared to be wrong from the beginning, as Launch Vehicle 0006 lurched sideways at the moment of liftoff rather than rise smoothly off the pad. But the rocket recovered and soared high into the Alaska sky, reaching an altitude of about 20.5 miles (33 kilometers) before shutting down, according to real-time data Astra provided during a webcast of the launch.

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#3 2021-08-29 09:35:14

Oldfart1939
Member
Registered: 2016-11-26
Posts: 2,366

Re: Astra rocket

"improved Rocket 3. We’ll be taking a test payload from the Space Force."

It seems that they didn't improve it enough...

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#4 2021-08-29 18:19:23

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,750

Re: Astra rocket

sounds like a quality test control issue for it not being able to run long enough...
Seems that they are following the Space x version of designing....build, fly to bust it and build again

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#5 2021-11-20 20:23:56

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,750

Re: Astra rocket

Astra successfully makes orbit on fourth attempt

Smallsat launch startup Astra Space has now joined the short list of companies with a successful orbital rocket. The launch window for the mission, number LV0007, opened on November 18 (November 19 UTC), but a first launch attempt was scrubbed. LV0007 finally lifted off at 10:04 PM PST on November 19 (06:04 UTC on November 20). The launch was conducted from LP-3B at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska.

Similar to the last attempt, the only payload onboard was a test payload for the United States Space Force’s (USSF) Space Test Program which was intentionally not deployed. The USSF designation for the mission is STP-27AD2.

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