When will Astra return to launching rockets?

A company that has been out of the limelight for a while, Astra is quietly getting itself ready to re-emerge as a hopeful commercial launch contender. But should we even expect to see Astra rockets fly again?

Since going private last year, Astra has gone mostly dark. The company’s handful of years in the public eye as a publicly traded company did not go well (a decision the company deeply regrets). Failures of its rockets led to the stock price plummeting to the point that the only option the board had left was to sell the company. Co-founders Chris Kemp and Dr. Adam London were the only two offering to buy it.

Back then, Astra was launching a vehicle called Rocket 3, a small, portable launch system that could be launched anywhere that had access to a range and a flat surface. The idea was to bring everything needed to the launch site, such as power, propellant, connectivity, the rocket, and even the launch pad. Once there, Astra could provide launch services to the customer, no matter the location on Earth.

That idea hasn’t changed; however, the rocket has gotten bigger. Rocket 3 was flawed in many ways. Each failure was linked back to a different system of the vehicle, meaning the overall design was not solid. The market for small rockets also has not developed as many hoped it would. Astra’s new vehicle, named Rocket 4, will feature an increased payload capacity for larger satellites.

The entire company is being funded through Astra’s in-space propulsion division. Acquired through the purchase of Apollo Fusion, the maker of an extremely efficient Hall effect thruster. In 2025, Kemp expects the company to bring in $50 million in revenue, all thanks to its thruster sales. The spare change left over from covering costs is used to fund Rocket 4’s development.

Astra plans to debut Rocket 4 in 2026, possibly as soon as mid-2026. Rocket 4 will make its first launch from Cape Canaveral as soon as next summer, per Kemp.

Similar to SpaceX timelines, Astra requires a similar grain of salt for its dates. Given its low development budget and history of troubles, delays are expected for Rocket 4’s launch.

But it’s always exciting to be near a new rocket’s debut.