Rocket Crashes In Alaskan Wildnerness After Space Startup ‘Astra’ Fails To Reach Orbit

Alameda-based rocketry startup Astra Space treated the world to a fireworks display in a remote part of Alaska Saturday night when the company’s 38-foot-tall rocket prototype failed to reach orbit during its first test launch.

The launch, which took place at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska, began at 19:19 local time (1519ET). The orbital attempt turned out to be a failure, as the rocket came crashing back to earth once its engines were remotely deactivated after the company’s “safety” team determined that it could be headed off-course.

To be sure, this is only their first attempt. And who knows? Perhaps a more reckless company wouldn’t have pulled the plug so quickly, although the US is currently struggling with a massive wildfire problem.

Nevertheless, the Astra team said they were “pleased” with the outcome.

Volume up! Rocket 3.1’s orbital launch attempt pic.twitter.com/nm1bDewdl5

— Astra (@Astra) September 12, 2020

Another video shows the turning point leading right up to the crash in greater detail.

The footage of the engine shutdown and crash of the @Astra Rocket 3.1 zoomed in shows that the rocket started tumbling as soon as the engines shutdown and stopped stabilisation of the rocket.
Here’s another angle https://t.co/VKQpOak6Kj

Credit : @CultonJennifer pic.twitter.com/VH78hdLl7j

— Pranav Gayatri (@PranavGayatri) September 12, 2020

Astra’s comms team shared more commentary on the launch, and the company’s strategy to “learn fast through iterative development” in a blog post published on the company’s website.

According to Bloomberg, Astra is one of a handful of companies vying to produce cheap, reusable rockets that can ferry satellites into space on a almost daily basis. The company is struggling to outflank the current  market leader, New Zealand-born Rocket Lab, which charges about $7.5 million per flight and has been the only company to conduct successful commercial flights so far.

Interestingly, Astra is aiming to undercut Rocket Lab by creating a reusable rocket that would cost $1 million per launch, or less.

Even luminaries like Elon Musk, not exactly known for his tact, or compassion toward rivals, congratulated Astra on the attempt.

Thanks, @elonmusk. We appreciate that and are encouraged by the progress we made today on our first of three flights on our way to orbit https://t.co/CrH8iBYNpS

— Astra (@Astra) September 12, 2020

And like Musk says, SpaceX rockets took 4 attempts to reach orbit, and have produced some pretty memorable crashes along the way.