{"id":10994,"date":"2021-08-29T22:47:37","date_gmt":"2021-08-29T14:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/astra-rocket-fails-after-early-engine-shutdown\/"},"modified":"2021-08-29T22:47:37","modified_gmt":"2021-08-29T14:47:37","slug":"astra-rocket-fails-after-early-engine-shutdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/astra-rocket-fails-after-early-engine-shutdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Astra rocket fails after early engine shutdown"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Astra\u2019s Rocket 3.3 tilts before flying sideways after liftoff from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska. Credit: Astra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Astra\u2019s small satellite launcher suffered an engine failure just after liftoff from Alaska Saturday, causing the rocket to tilt sideways before recovering and climbing into the upper atmosphere with its four remaining engines. The rocket later veered from its flight corridor, and the range safety officer issued a flight termination command before the mission reached orbit.<\/p>\n

The 43-foot-tall (13-meter) rocket, modest by orbital launch vehicle standards, took off from the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island, Alaska, at 6:35 p.m. EDT (2:35 p.m. Alaska time; 2235 GMT) Saturday.<\/p>\n

Astra aborted a launch attempt Friday just after ignition of the rocket\u2019s five kerosene-fueled Delphin main engines.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Space Force contracted Astra for the test flight Saturday. The military paid for the mission to carry a \u201cnon-deployable\u201d payload comprising sensors and instruments to measure the environment satellites would encounter during an Astra launch.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe regret that we were unable to accomplish all mission objectives for the U.S. Space Force; however, we captured a tremendous amount of data from this test flight,\u201d said Chris Kemp, founder, chairman and CEO of Astra, in a statement. \u201cWe will incorporate learnings from this test into future launch vehicles, including LV0007, which is currently in production.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hold-down restraints released after engine start Saturday, but one of the Delphin engines shut down less than a second after liftoff, according to Astra, which is headquartered in Alameda, California.<\/p>\n

The loss of thrust \u2014 a single Delphin engine produces about 6,500 pounds of thrust at sea level \u2014 caused the rocket to falter near the launch site. The launch vehicle, designated Rocket 3.3 or LV0006, then flew sideways until the remaining four engines could power the booster into the sky.<\/p>\n

In a tweet, Kemp said Astra\u2019s rocket is designed to lift off with a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.25 to 1. With just four engines firing, the remaining thrust equaled the rocket\u2019s fully loaded weight until the first stage burned off some fuel after a few seconds.<\/p>\n

The rocket finally started its upward trajectory, continuing through maximum dynamic pressure \u2014 when structural loads on the rocket are highest \u2014 and reaching supersonic speeds before a range safety officer on the ground issued a flight termination command about two-and-a-half minutes after liftoff.<\/p>\n