the start of Astra space flight it plans to reach orbit for the first time in early August.
On Monday (July 20), the California-based company announced that its 38-foot-tall (11.6-meter) Rocket 3.1 is scheduled to launch from the Pacific Space Port Complex on Alaska’s Kodiak Island during a six-day window to open on August 2. .
The rocket traveled to Kodiak last week after conducting two static fire tests at Astra’s California facility, company representatives. said on Twitter. (Static fires test rocket engines while the vehicle is tethered to the ground.)
Astra originally intended to obtain its orbital wings almost five months ago. Rocket 3.1’s predecessor, Rocket 3.0, was set to take off from Kodiak on March 2 on a mission that would have delivered four payloads to orbit and given the company $ 2 million.
Related: The history of rockets.
Our amazing team got together for one last photo with Rocket 3.1 before heading to Kodiak last week! We are pleased to announce that our 6-day launch window begins on August 2 and is open from 12: 30-4pm PT every day! #sendit pic.twitter.com/Ju6nmQ0usN20 July 2020
The money would come from the U.S. Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency (DARPA), which conducted a two-part competition called the DARPA Launch Challenge to encourage the development of private rockets that can launch small payloads efficiently and on short notice.
It was not, however. Engineers noted some potentially troublesome rocket data just before takeoff, The 3.0 rocket stayed on the ground and the prize money was not claimed. (March 2 was the last day for Astra to get the first match of the competition)
The two-stage Rocket 3.0 was damaged in late March, during preparations for a takeoff not affiliated with the DARPA Launch Challenge. So the company’s first orbital attempt falls on Rocket 3.1.
There is no guarantee that this release will work, of course. In the lead-up to the DARPA launch attempt, Astra CEO Chris Kemp emphasized that orbital rocket debut missions are generally unsuccessful.
“The success of this flight means that we achieved enough to make an orbit within three flights, which we have defined as at least achieving a nominal first stage burn,” Astra representatives said via Twitter last month, referring to the next launch attempt.
The company has not announced which payloads, if any, will fly over Rocket 3.1 on the next mission.
Mike Wall is the author of “Out There” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book on the search for extraterrestrial life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
