Astra (rocket)

Rocket 3.0 "1 of 3" in Alaska (February 2020)

Rocket (English for "rocket"), seldom also called Astra , is a two-stage rocket under development by the US space company Astra Space (formerly Vention ). The rocket, which is only 12 meters high, should ultimately be able to transport up to 200 kg payload into low earth orbits . It would compete with the small rocket Electron , at a much lower price of 2.5 million US dollars per launch. The rocket's development began in late 2016 and was largely covert until early 2020; Astra Space was called Stealth Space accordingly .

technology

The aim in developing the rocket was to make production as simple as possible and extremely low manufacturing costs . Like the main competitor Rocket Lab at Electron, Astra Space also uses electrically operated fuel pumps, which considerably simplifies the engines. However, the structure of the Astra rocket is conventionally made of aluminum and is therefore much cheaper and faster to manufacture than the modern CFRP components from Rocket Lab. Instead of the Electron's eight engines, the Astra first stage only has five; Fuel and oxidizer ( kerosene and liquid oxygen ) are again the same.

When it comes to cost optimization, Astra even goes so far that compromises in the reliability of the rocket are accepted. Behind this is the calculation that the overall package of extremely inexpensive launches with the occasional loss of individual satellites should be more attractive for customers than the technically perfected, but many times more expensive offers from other manufacturers.

The length of the rocket of 12 meters enables it to be transported in a standard ISO container .

For the first orbital test flights, Astra Space developed the rocket version 3 ( Rocket 3 ) with a payload of up to 25 kg for sun-synchronous orbits . Three copies of this variant will be built. The transport line is to be increased in future rocket versions.

Facilities

The missile will be developed, manufactured and tested on a site in Alameda , California . The Alameda Naval Air Station used to be located in the facility . From this time there are underground engine test stands that are still in use.

Launch Complex 2 of the Pacific Spaceport Complex - Alaska (PSCA) on the island of Kodiak serves as the first launch site . In the long term, one start per month is planned from there. Astra Space is the first commercial user of the PSCA. Because of its high latitude , the PSCA is only suitable for take-offs in polar orbits . For lower inclines , Astra is planning a second launch site on the Marshall Islands in the Pacific . Use of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on the US east coast is also under discussion.

Starts

A first test flight took place with a rocket called Rocket 1 and under the mission designation P120 . The start was initially scheduled for April 6, 2018, but was canceled a few minutes before the end of the countdown due to a technical problem. The missile finally launched on July 20, but due to an unspecified problem, the flight ended after 21 seconds. There was slight damage to the launch system.

A second launch took place with the Rocket 2 rocket on November 27, 2018. All five engines failed and the missile fell in ruins on the launch site.

Both flights were suborbital or atmospheric tests of the first stage rocket. The second stage had no function or was only used as a mass simulator .

The first two orbital launches with the rocket version Rocket 3.0 were planned for the first quarter of 2020 as part of the military small rocket launch competition DARPA Launch Challenge . Astra Space was the only remaining participant of the original 30 applicants in the competition, but had to cancel the start at the last minute on March 2nd due to a technical problem. So the competition ended without a winner. On March 23, an "anomaly" occurred in preparation for a second launch attempt; the missile was destroyed and the launch site contaminated .

According to the company in February 2020, there are around a dozen launch orders for the rocket. These are to be served with rocket version 4 with SSO transport capacity.

Start list

As of August 13, 2020

Date ( UTC )	rocket	Launch site	Mission payload	Orbit 1	Remarks
20th July 2018	Rocket 1	PSCA LP 2	no	subortbital	Failure of test flight with inoperable second stage
November 27, 2018	Rocket 2	PSCA LP 2	no	subortbital	Failure of test flight with inoperable second stage
March 24, 2020 (planned)	Rocket 3 1 of 3	PSCA LP 3B	unpublished	LEO	Failure destroys rocket at launch preparations on 23 March
Planned launches
Aug 31 - Sep 4, 2:00 am - 4:30 am	Rocket 3.1	PSCA	no	LEO
2020	Rocket 3	PSCA		LEO
October 2020	Rocket 4		Cubesat - Rideshare	SSO
January 2021	Rocket 4		Cubesat Rideshare	SSO
March 2021	Rocket 4		Cubesat Rideshare	LEO
April 2021	Rocket 4		Cubesat Rideshare	SSO
June 2021	Rocket 4		Cubesat Rideshare	LEO
July 2021	Rocket 4		Cubesat Rideshare	SSO
September 2021	Rocket 4		Cubesat Rideshare	LEO

¹Orbit on which the payload from the upper rocket stage is to be launched; not necessarily the target orbit of the payload.

Web links

• Astra website
• Short presentation of Astra Space from 2017
• Brief report on a test of the rocket at the Astra Space facility in Alameda , California ; SKY7, February 2018
• A Small Rocket Maker Is Running A Different Kind of Space Race . Bloomberg Businessweek , February 3, 2020

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ventions' successor Astra Space has suborbital test launch failure - thought to be its second. Seradata, December 18, 2018, accessed February 18, 2019 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Ashley Vance: A Small Rocket Maker Is Running A Different Kind of Space Race. In: Bloomberg Businessweek. February 3, 2020, accessed February 3, 2020 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b} Jeff Foust: Astra emphasizes rapid iteration in its quest for low-cost, rapid launch . Spacenews, February 14, 2000.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Eric Berger: At Astra Space, failure is an option. In: Ars Technica. February 6, 2019, accessed February 6, 2019 . 
5. ↑ Twitter message from Astra Space, February 18, 2020.
6. ↑ ^{a b} Stephen Clark: Fresh out of stealth mode, Astra gearing up for orbital launch from Alaska . Spaceflight Now, February 24, 2020.
7. ↑ ^{a b c} Commercial Space Transportation License No LLS 18-112. (PDF) FAA, March 30, 2018, accessed April 3, 2018 . 
8. ↑ Jay Benett: Secret Spaceflight Company to Conduct First Commercial Launch From Alaska Spaceport. In: Popular Mechanics. March 21, 2018, accessed April 3, 2018 . 
9. ^ Jeff Foust: Alaskan spaceport to host secretive commercial launch. In: Spacenews. March 20, 2018, accessed April 3, 2018 . 
10. ^ Ian Atkinson: Astra, DARPA prepare for upcoming launch challenge . Nasaspaceflight.com, February 25, 2020.
11. ^ Gabe Stutman: Kodiak's first commercial rocket launch scrubbed minutes before launch. In: Kodiak Daily Mirror. April 6, 2018, accessed April 8, 2018 . 
12. ^ Jeff Foust: Alaska launch shrouded in secrecy. In: Spacenews. July 27, 2018, accessed September 16, 2018 . 
13. ↑ ^{a b} Gunter Dirk Krebs: Astra. In: skyrocket.de. March 1, 2020, accessed February 12, 2018 . 
14. ^ Official Minutes - Board of Directors Meeting. (PDF) Alaska Aerospace, September 13, 2018, accessed February 17, 2019 (Section 11). 
15. ↑ Launches . FAA, archived December 2, 2018.
16. ↑ ^{a b} Commercial Space Transportation License; License Number LLS 18-144. (PDF) FAA, October 15, 2018, accessed October 17, 2018 . 
17. ↑ ^{a b} Jeff Foust: Astra Space suborbital launch fails. In: Spacenews. December 6, 2018, accessed December 6, 2018 . 
18. ^ Astra rocket damaged in pre-launch tests . Spacenews, March 24, 2020.
19. ↑ Michael Sheetz: Rocket startup Astra trims staff . CNBC, April 5, 2020.
20. ^ Jeff Foust: Three companies selected for DARPA Launch Challenge. April 10, 2019, accessed April 11, 2019 . 
21. ↑ Twitter message from Todd Master, Head of the DARPA Launch Challenge, March 1, 2020.
22. ↑ United States Coast Guard: Local Notice to Mariners, District 17, Week 32/20. (PDF) August 13, 2020, p. 2 , accessed on August 13, 2020 (English). 
23. ↑ Rocket 1 of 3, Launch Attempt 1 . Astra Space, March 2, 2020.
24. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Reserve A Small Satellite Launch on astra.com, accessed February 3, 2020.