FAILURE: Astra Rocket 3.1 - Kodiak - September 12, 2020 (03:19 UTC)

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1271570674839179269

Astra will go again for its first orbital launch, CEO Chris Kemp tells me, with a window set to open on July 20 from Alaska's Pacific Spaceport Complex.

Photo: Astra / John Kraus

[Steven Pietrobon]

Is this one going to be called Rocket 3.0 (2 of 3)?

[Rik ISS-fan]

Is this one going to be called Rocket 3.0 (2 of 3)?

I think it's still (1 of 3).
edit: I stand corrected.   

[Comga]

Is this one going to be called Rocket 3.0 (2 of 3)?

I think it's still (1 of 3).

If it doesn't go well, with the next be 1 of 4?
Maybe if they have no more failures in a few years the second half dozen will start with "7 of 9". 

[gongora]

Is this one going to be called Rocket 3.0 (2 of 3)?

I think it's still (1 of 3).

1 of 3 is no more, I'd think it would make sense to increment the number

[edkyle99]

Is this one going to be called Rocket 3.0 (2 of 3)?

That would be my guess.  "1 of 3" was "damaged" during a March 24 prelaunch test "anomaly" that left a giant burned scar in the landscape that was visible from space later.  Probably an AMOS 6 (or SN4) like event without the YouTube video.

 - Ed Kyle

[zubenelgenubi]

I split off the splinter discussion into a new launch thread.

"1 of 3" launch thread

Astra Space (small launch vehicle)

[TrevorMonty]

Is this one going to be called Rocket 3.0 (2 of 3)?

I think it's still (1 of 3).

If it doesn't go well, with the next be 1 of 4?
Maybe if they have no more failures in a few years the second half dozen will start with "7 of 9". 

If it doesn't go well maybe last thing Vector launches.

[southcounty253]

Is this one going to be called Rocket 3.0 (2 of 3)?

I think it's still (1 of 3).

If it doesn't go well, with the next be 1 of 4?
Maybe if they have no more failures in a few years the second half dozen will start with "7 of 9". 

If it doesn't go well maybe last thing Vector launches.

Vector's back? ;-)

[TrevorMonty]

Is this one going to be called Rocket 3.0 (2 of 3)?

I think it's still (1 of 3).

If it doesn't go well, with the next be 1 of 4?
Maybe if they have no more failures in a few years the second half dozen will start with "7 of 9". 

If it doesn't go well maybe last thing Vector launches.

Vector's back? ;-)

My mistake, getting these small LV companies mixed up. Last thing Astra launches.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

twitter.com/astra/status/1272865773204066306

Despite COVID-19, damage to our launch system, and on-going events affecting our country, the team has been impressively resilient and we’ve confirmed a launch window beginning July 20th out of Kodiak, Alaska!

https://twitter.com/astra/status/1272865773958991872

Success for this flight means we accomplish enough to make orbit within three flights, which we have defined as at least achieving a nominal first stage burn.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

twitter.com/astra/status/1272894108735090688

Astra has announced the opening of their next launch window from Kodiak, Alaska: July 20th!

I’m happy to share I’ll be back to photograph the company’s first orbital launch attempt.

Let’s look at some previously-unreleased images I captured for Astra earlier this year:

https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1272891116229201921

In the above photo, Astra’s Rocket 3.0 is seen venting on the day of a launch attempt that was ultimately scrubbed due to weather. The high-contrast of whiteout skies made for a unique frame.

Below, the vehicle is seen during a water suppression system test.

twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1272891130674372617

A stunning Alaska sunrise with Astra’s Rocket 3.0.

https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1272891145870348288

Pacific Spaceport Complex — Alaska is an incredibly scenic spaceport. This was where I was poised to view liftoff in early March. I’m looking forward to seeing a similar view next month.

All photos: Me for @Astra

[TrevorMonty]

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/06/16/san-francisco-startup-astra-is-going-for-its-first-orbital-rocket-launch-in-july.html

Astra CEO Chris Kemp told CNBC that that he will restart the company's fundraising in the next month as well, which he says is "a function of the market recovering" for now.


Kemp went into more detail about the company's March anomaly, which destroyed its Rocket 3.0 during launch preparations. He said that, "after a really successful rehearsal," a valve on the rocket stuck open while Astra was letting the fuel out of the rocket.
"It occurred during a phase of the tanking process where the relief valve couldn't relieve the pressure fast enough," Kemp said.
The valve is a piece Astra had built in-house and tested "thousands of times successfully," Kemp noted. It took several months of Astra trying to reproduce the failure before the company found the root cause. In the process of doing that, Astra also put in three levels of redundancy so it won't happen again.

[zubenelgenubi: simplified hyperlink]

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/astra/status/1283808474313265158

Volume up!

twitter.com/astra/status/1283808475663892482

Say hello to Rocket 3.1, our orbital launch vehicle that just passed its 2nd static hotfire test with flying colors. Having completed testing, Rocket 3.1 is now packed up and on its way to Kodiak, Alaska for our first orbital launch attempt!

https://twitter.com/astra/status/1283808476272029697

We are narrowing and finalizing our launch window - we'll be announcing that window early next week!

[Steven Pietrobon]

Hopefully this one has better luck! Looks like they are not using the "2 of 3" designation and have changed the name to 3.1.

[edkyle99]

Rocket 3.1 appears on first inspection to have the same outer mold line as Rocket 3.0.  I wonder if the remaining 3.0's were scrapped, or upgraded to the 3.1 standard.

 - Ed Kyle

[Michael Baylor]

The Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska (PSCA) is planning to conduct a rocket launch from launch pad LP-3B at Narrow Cape, Kodiak, Alaska from 301930-302300 UTC which is 1130-1500 Alaska Daylight Savings Time on July 30th, 2020. If the launch does not occur on July 30th then it will be rescheduled for the following day during the same time window. Rescheduling could continue each day through August 7th, 2020. The following hazardous areas are recommended to be avoided during the daily launch windows. Additional information including the locations of the hazardous areas is available in an enclosure to this LNM.

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lnms/lnm17282020.pdf

[Sam Ho]

Our incredible team got together for one last photo with Rocket 3.1 before it headed up to Kodiak last week!

We're excited to announce that our 6-day launch window starts on August 2nd and is open from 12:30-4pm PT each day!

https://twitter.com/Astra/status/1285269482479300608

[xyv]

Well...two day slip in two days.  Still pretty close and should happen in the next month.  Nice to see everybody modeling good masking behavior...it ain't rocket science folks!

[Bean Kenobi]

"our 6-day launch window starts on August 2nd and is open from 12:30-4pm PT" means August 2nd in UTC (PT = UTC+7), date in thread title is false.