Astra’s first launch of operational satellites ought to wait in any case one different day.
The California agency consider to launch the ELaNa 41 mission for NASA as we communicate (Feb. 5) from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station nonetheless was thwarted by a problem on the launch range.
“Unfortunately, due to a range asset that has gone out of service today, we are going to stand out from today’s launch attempt of the ElaNa 41 mission,” Carolina Grossman, director of product administration for Astra, acknowledged in a webcast of as we communicate’s attempt. “Our launch window does extend to tomorrow as well at the same time.”
The Sunday window opens at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) and runs for 3 hours, merely as as we communicate’s did. You can watch the launch live here at Space.com, courtesy of Astra, or directly via Astra and its livestream companion NASASpaceFlight.com. Coverage will start one hour from launch.
Video: Watch Astra’s Rocket 3.2 launch on its 1st successful flight
Astra has carried out 4 orbital launches up to now, all of them verify missions that lifted off from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska. The agency succeeded in reaching orbit on the most recent flight, which launched in November 2021.
ELaNa 41 will break new flooring for Astra; it’s the company’s first launch from the Lower 48 states and its first to carry operational satellites.
Those spacecraft are 4 cubesats, which can be flying by means of NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) initiative. The tiny satellites had been developed by three completely totally different universities and NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. They’ll do numerous work in orbit, from testing out a spacecraft-deorbiting “drag sail” to demonstrating tech which may facilitate in-space satellite inspection.
Mike Wall is the creator of “Out There” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a e-book regarding the look for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or on Facebook.
