Astra successfully reaches orbit for the first time early Saturday morning

Fourth time’s the charm for Astra! It has successfully reached orbit with its Rocket 3.3 vehicle, serial number LV0007. This mission follows the “powerslide launch” in which an engine failure lead to a terminated flight.

Following an aborted launch attempt in the early hours of November 19, Astra‘s Rocket 3.3 vehicle took off at 1:16 a.m. EST, November 20 from the Pacific Spaceport Complex located in Kodiak, Alaska.

This mission carried a mass simulator that was provided by the Space Force. It launched to a 500km orbit with a 86 degree inclination.

Astra just reached orbit! 7.61km/sec at our targeted 86.0 degree inclination at an altitude of 500km. The team worked hard for this. We’re just getting started, folks. #AdAstra pic.twitter.com/NiMhCEsuCI

— Chris Kemp (@Kemp) November 20, 2021

You can watch a replay of the launch here:

We here at Space Explored applaud Astra’s continued efforts to reach orbit despite the setbacks they have faced. Astra’s next flight should be out of SLC-46 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station!

Featured Image: Astra/Brady Kenniston

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