Private company Astra rocket crashed after launch

The first orbital mission of the private company Astra failed, and the rocket fell and exploded after 30 seconds

The space flight started on September 11 - the company planned to send Rocket 3.1 into orbit into the sky from the Pacific Complex in Alaska.However, the launch vehicle, 12 m high, could not fly into orbit even without a payload.

“Successful ascent and departure, but flying soonended due to an accident of the first stage. It looks like this was nominally our first flight and still needs some work. More updates will follow later, ”said Astra.

Amateur videos show that the rocketexploded approximately 30 seconds after launch. The Rocket 3.1 is a five-engine, two-stage rocket. The carrier can put up to 150 kg of payload into a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. The missile is only 12 m long and can be transported in a container to any launch site.

The company previously stated that cheap and effectiverockets will allow Astra "to take a serious competitive position in the space launch market." According to preliminary estimates, the cost of one launch is about $ 2.5 million. By comparison, SpaceX's Falcon 9 heavy rocket launch is estimated at more than $ 60 million.

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