CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — After a series of delays, space launch company Astra was able to get its rocket off the ground but failed to deliver the payload to orbit.
"We experienced an issue during today's flight that resulted in the payloads not being delivered to orbit," Astra tweeted following liftoff from Space Launch Complex 46.
Astra was launching four small cube satellites into orbit for NASA's ELaNa 41 mission. On Twitter, the company apologized to the nation's top space agency.
No further information was provided on what caused the issue, more information is set to be provided following a data review.
Following the payload loss, NASA offered words of encouragement to those behind the launch attempt writing, "Spaceflight is never easy, and we want to encourage all, especially the university students and @NASA_Johnson team behind the CubeSats on today's launch attempt, to keep going."
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Monday was supposed to mark a major milestone for space launch company Astra.
After being founded in 2016, the company was readying for its first launch from Florida's coast at Space Launch Complex 46.
But the mission stayed grounded after a "minor telemetry issue" forced Astra to abort the launch. An attempt this past weekend was also scrubbed due to a "range asset that went out of service."
The company is now targeting its next launch attempt for 3 p.m.on Feb. 10 in the hopes that the third time will be the charm.
Astra's Rocket 3.3 is set to carry four small cube satellites into orbit for NASA's ELaNa 41 mission.
“Launching out of the Cape allows us to serve customers with mid-inclination delivery needs, broadening our market,” Chief Business Officer at Astra Martin Attiq said. “This is an additional step in our global spaceport strategy and positions us to serve the broad low earth orbit (LEO) market.”
It took Astra five years to deliver its first commercial payload into orbit, "making it the fastest company in history to reach" such a milestone. The 2021 launch for the United States Space Force took place in Alaska.