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WASHINGTON – The mission of the Astra Space rocket company to send small satellites to NASA to monitor storms in orbit on Sunday failed after the second-stage accelerator engine stopped early in space.
The failure occurred approximately 10 minutes after the successful launch of the Astra 3.3 rocket at 13:43 ET (1743 GMT) from the launch site of the Cape Canaveral space station in Florida.
“We had a nominal flight from the first stage. However, the top-level engine shut down early and we did not deliver our payload into orbit, “said Astra live commentator Amanda Dirk Fry.
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The rocket was carrying two small satellites designed by the Lincoln Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to measure humidity and rainfall in tropical storm systems. They were to be the first batch of a six-satellite constellation operated by NASA, the rest of which Astra also plans to launch in the future.
The mission’s failure on Sunday was the second for Astra this year, as the newcomer is trying to boost his startup business with Rocket 3.3, a cost-effective two-stage vehicle capable of lifting 330 pounds (150 kg) of satellites to low Earth orbit.
Of Astra’s seven attempts to reach orbit, which include test missions that do not carry revenue-generating payloads, two were successful – the first in November last year and the second in March.
NASA has partnered with thriving rocket companies to launch cheap scientific payloads as a way to boost growth in the rocket industry.
“Although today’s launch with @Astra did not go according to plan, the mission offered a great opportunity for new science and launch opportunities,” wrote Thomas Zurbuchen, head of NASA’s science unit, which oversaw the mission.
“Although we are currently frustrated, we know that there is value in taking risk in our entire NASA Science portfolio because innovation is needed to be a leader.” (Report by Joey Roulette; Edited by Lisa Shumaker)
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