Space startup Astra’s effective commercial debut didn’t quite go according to plan. As SpaceNews reports, the company’s first practical mission for NASA failed when the Rocket 3.3 vehicle’s upper stage flew out of control shortly after detaching from the first stage. While the launch itself went smoothly, footage suggests the payload fairing separation went awry.
The rocket was carrying NASA’s ELaNa 41 (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) mission. Three of the four cubesats aboard the flight were from universities hoping to conduct experiments for drag sails, space weather modelling and quantum gyroscopes. The fourth, from NASA itself, was meant to test quick and low-cost methods to build and inspect cubesats.
In a statement, Astra said it was “deeply sorry” for losing the payloads and would shed more light on the incident after a “data review.” The launch had already been delayed several days, in part due to a range problem.
Read more: Engadget
