Astra Space
Ten companies bid for NASA small launch vehicle contract
A NASA small launch vehicle competition attracted bids from 10 companies, but half of them were effectively disqualified because of deficiencies or other problems.
Astra narrowly misses reaching orbit on second launch
Small launch vehicle developer Astra Space fell just short of reaching orbit on its second launch attempt Dec. 15, but the company is “beyond ecstatic” with the performance of the rocket.
Three companies win NASA small launch contracts
Three small launch vehicle developers won a combined $16.7 million in NASA contracts as part of an effort to support the development of new launch vehicles.
Astra to make second orbital launch attempt
Small launch vehicle developer Astra will make its second orbital launch attempt in December, three months after an initial launch attempt failed shortly after liftoff.
Former Pentagon official Fred Kennedy is the new president of Momentus
Fred Kennedy, former Space Development Agency director, is the new president of Momentus, a Silicon Valley company preparing to transport satellites in orbit.
Astra launch terminated during first-stage burn
Astra launched its Rocket 3.1 vehicle late Sept. 11, but the flight ended during the small launch vehicle’s first-stage burn.
Astra prepares for next launch attempt as it faces suit over company name
As Astra prepares for another launch attempt of its small launch vehicle, the company is facing a lawsuit from another company with a similar name.
Astra ready for first in a series of orbital launch attempts
Small launch vehicle developer Astra says it’s ready for an orbital launch attempt as soon as Aug. 2, but warns that it’s “pretty unlikely” that launch will actually achieve orbit.
Astra sets early August for next launch attempt
Small launch vehicle developer Astra said July 20 it’s now planning to make its next orbital launch attempt in early August, five months after a previous attempt was scrubbed a minute before liftoff.
Astra to make new orbital launch attempt in July
Small launch vehicle startup Astra will make another attempt to reach orbit in July after failing to win a DARPA launch competition earlier this year.
Shakeout in small launch industry is coming but nobody can predict when
Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck: "The market needs to grow a lot to sustain more than two companies."
Astra rocket damaged in pre-launch tests
Small launch vehicle startup Astra has postponed its next launch attempt after the rocket was damaged in what local officials say was an “anomaly” during a prelaunch test.
Rocket Lab launch preparations continue despite coronavirus travel restrictions
Rocket Lab is continuing with preparations for a launch later this month despite the coronavirus pandemic, although another small launch company’s plans for a launch this month remain unclear.
DARPA Launch Challenge ends without winner
A DARPA responsive launch competition that started two years ago came to an end March 2 without a winner as the sole remaining team was forced to scrub their final launch attempt less than a minute before liftoff.
DARPA makes last-minute change to launch competition rules
With just a week before the first scheduled launch in DARPA’s responsive launch competition, the agency is tweaking the rules to allow the sole remaining company to perform both launches from the same spaceport.
