SpaceX and NASA alumni just took another company to space for the first time
Startup Astra sends its Rocket 3.2 on a short trip to space from Alaska. Listen - 01:11
Rocket 3.2 before launch at Kodiak spaceport in Alaska. Astra
There s a new name to take seriously in the commercial space launch game following the launch on Tuesday of Astra s Rocket 3.2 from the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Alaska s Kodiak Island.
This was the second in a series of three demonstration launches meant to show that the company can make it to orbit. The first launch in September saw Rocket 3.1 get off the ground, only to shut down early and crash near the launch pad.
Small launch vehicle startup, Astra, has joined the ranks of companies sending vehicles up into space. The California startup launched its second orbital flight yesterday, Wednesday 15 December, just before 16:00 PM EST from the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island in Alaska.
The company s Rocket 3.2 passed the Kármán line, which is the point that most consider the barrier between Earth s atmosphere and space.
Astra didn t share a live stream video of the iconic moment, but its team shared regular updates on its Twitter page.
Astra s 38-foot-tall (12 meters) Rocket 3.2 hit a bunch of milestones during its flight yesterday, most notably shooting through its first-stage engine burn, successfully separating its second-stage, and soaring over
Astra successfully launched one of its rockets into space for the first time on Tuesday from Kodiakâs Pacific Spaceport Complex â Alaska, taking one step closer to their goal of achieving commercial space travel. Â
âThis is hard fought, well earned,â said Mark Lester, the president and CEO of Alaska Aerospace Corp., which runs the spaceport. âVery few commercial companies have done what (Astra) just did. Now we are starting to see this industry get some momentum.â
The California-based startup, which recently won a contract with NASA to launch small satellites into space, launched their Rocket 3.2 from Narrow Cape. Liftoff occurred at 11:55 a.m., according to a series of tweets posted by the company. Â