spacetoday.net: Astra launch fails

Posted: Sun, Feb 13, 2022, 10:58 AM ET (1558 GMT)
Astra Rocket 3.3 launch of LV0008, Feb 2022 (Astra Space/NASASpaceflight)

Astra's first launch from Florida failed to reach orbit Thursday when the rocket malfunctioned during stage separation. The Rocket 3.3 vehicle lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 3 pm EST (2000 GMT). However, the vehicle's upper stage appeared to tumble out of control immediately after separating from the lower stage, and Astra later confirmed the launch failed. The company did not immediately provide any more details about the failure, the fourth in five orbital launch attempts. The rocket was carrying four NASA-sponsored cubesats on a launch paid for by NASA's Venture Class Launch Services program. Shares in Astra plummeted after the failure, closing down 26%.