FAILURE : Astra Rocket 3.2 - Kodiak - December 15, 2020 (20:55 UTC)

[Steven Pietrobon]

Should be SECO around now if it did fire successfully...

SECO was planned at T+8:32, and we are now T+15 minutes, with no news from Astra. Not looking good.

[zubenelgenubi]

Do we have an accurate T-0 time?  I estimated by the Tweet timestamps.

[Steven Pietrobon]

Do we have an accurate T-0 time?  I estimated by the Tweet timestamps.

The tweet time for T-0 was 7:25 am my time (I have my clock synchronised to US standard time), which would put it at 20:55 UTC.

[Mammutti]

https://twitter.com/Astra/status/1338956481371115521

[lrk]

Does that mean orbit? 

[Steven Pietrobon]

Does that mean orbit?

I don't believe so. These are probably the views heading for the drink. The images ware taken at T+8 minutes, about 30 seconds before expected SECO.

[trimeta]

https://twitter.com/Astra/status/1338956481371115521

That first picture looks fishy to me.

Wait, did I say "fishy"? I meant "fisheye."

[Jrcraft]

look at the timestamp on the image. If we had liftoff at 20:55 and this was taken at 21:03, that's 8 minutes later. The engine still looks warm too.

(Though it could just be on a suborbital trajectory at T+8 minutes.)

[zubenelgenubi]

Does that mean orbit?

I don't believe so. These are probably the views heading for the drink.

My >guess< would be the images were taken near-ish to sub-orbital apogee.  On the way to Davy Jones' locker.

The second stage engine could have fired for full-duration, but if the stage did not have the proper attitude during the full duration of the second stage burn: no orbit.

IF that is the case, I wonder where it did/will come down?  Not in the NOTAMed areas.  But I wouldn't worry about debris conking somebody on the head.

[ShaunML09]

Skeptical they made orbit (otherwise would have said so with those pictures but...)

https://twitter.com/wikkit/status/1338956638770909185

[Mammutti]

https://twitter.com/Astra/status/1338958581983367168

HUGE SUCCESS!!!!!!! 

Flight video, data, and more details to follow!

[lrk]

Well, regardless of whether they made it to orbit today, congratulations are still in order, making it way further than any of their previous attempts. A good first stage burn, stage sep and upper stage ignition are still all huge milestones and proves that they are a serious contender in the smallsat launch marketplace - only a few companies are able to say that. 

On a side-note if it turns out they didn't reach orbit, I'm noticing an ironic similarity between Astra's orbital attempts and SpaceX's early F1 test flights - liftoff with an engine shutdown and impact shortly after liftoff, followed by almost making it on the next flight.  One must hope that the next flight won't end in a failure at stage separation... 

[zubenelgenubi]

HUGE SUCCESS!!!!!!! 

Flight video, data, and more details to follow!

I hate to be a negative Nancy, but huge success (x!) does not necessarily = anything making orbit.

For all the launch and ascent steps to have occurred, and on-time, is a great stride forward over the previous Rocket attempts.

We shall see.

[Steven Pietrobon]

Well, regardless of whether they made it to orbit today, congratulations are still in order, making it way further than any of their previous attempts. A good first stage burn, stage sep and upper stage ignition are still all huge milestones and proves that they are a serious contender in the smallsat launch marketplace - only a few companies are able to say that. 

There was no official confirmation of second stage ignition.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1338960965753315331

Astra says they are "getting final data confirmation" on whether Rocket 3.2 reached orbit.

[lrk]

Well, regardless of whether they made it to orbit today, congratulations are still in order, making it way further than any of their previous attempts. A good first stage burn, stage sep and upper stage ignition are still all huge milestones and proves that they are a serious contender in the smallsat launch marketplace - only a few companies are able to say that. 

There was no confirmation of second stage ignition.

There was from Eric Berger.  Not sure about his source, but he's usually right.

https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/1338952612972998657

Edit: and if they are waiting for final data on whether they did make it, then there obviously was a mostly-nominal S2 burn.  That also explains the ambiguous tweets...

[Steven Pietrobon]

twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1338960965753315331

Astra says they are "getting final data confirmation" on whether Rocket 3.2 reached orbit.

If they had video, surely they would know if they had made orbit from onboard telemetry giving inertial velocity and altitude.

[zubenelgenubi]

Does Astra have any Loss of Signal zones in receiving transmissions from the upper stage?

That could be the reason for the ambiguity: nobody knows yet.

Reference: Discoverer 1

[Steven Pietrobon]

look at the timestamp on the image. If we had liftoff at 20:55 and this was taken at 21:03, that's 8 minutes later. The engine still looks warm too.

(Though it could just be on a suborbital trajectory at T+8 minutes.)

The engine nozzle should be glowing brightly, which is not the case here. It is slightly red, so it could have been cooling down after perhaps an early shutdown.

[Rocketdog2116]

look at the timestamp on the image. If we had liftoff at 20:55 and this was taken at 21:03, that's 8 minutes later. The engine still looks warm too.

(Though it could just be on a suborbital trajectory at T+8 minutes.)

The engine nozzle should be glowing brightly, which is not the case here. It is slightly red, so it could have been cooling down after perhaps an early shutdown.

Granted we don't know how bright it should be. It's a really small engine. Plus it's in direct sunlight. But you're probably right  that they didn't quite make it or just barely made it.