Astra Space Rocket 3.3 Fails, 4 Payloads Lost
On Thursday, Astra Space once again failed to reach orbit. The launch occurred from LC-46, one of twenty-three inactive launch sites at Cape Canaveral, Florida. There are four more at Kennedy Space Center.
According to www.parabolicarc.com, “The series of events that led to the failure is unclear. Onboard video appeared to show a failure of the payload shroud to separate. It is possible that the shroud was blown off by second stage engine’s ignition, causing the vehicle to tumble out of control.”
It was the fourth failure in five orbital launch attempts for Astra Space’s small-satellite launcher. Five of seven prior launches exploded over or on the Kodiak Alaska Spaceport.
NASA called the Astra rocket's failure an "anomaly." An anomaly is an aberration or an exception. Only Rocket Lab has appeared to mostly prevent anomalies with all others having anomaly after anomaly. The space industry cannot use simple words like "failure" to describe a mission where the rocket broke (simple word) and its 4-satellite payload was destroyed (we can all understand what that means.)
Zero Astra Jobs In Florida
Astra’s fully containerized rocket requires only 6 team members to travel from the California factory to set it up in Florida. Launch control stays in California. If each Astra worker spent $500 dollars a day for a full month in Florida, they would generate less than $100,000 in gross revenue for the area and less than $2,000 in total local sales tax. No Camden County spaceport tourist is reported to have traveled to Cape Canaveral to witness the launch.
Securities Class Action Lawsuit Against Astra Space, Inc.
Feb. 9, 2022 DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: (1) Astra cannot launch "anywhere"; (2) Astra significantly overstated its addressable market; (3) Astra overstated the effectiveness of its designs and reliability; (4) Astra significantly overstated its plans for diversification and its broadband constellation plan; and (5) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. https://tinyurl.com/3txswrc5
The Astra 3.3 is the smallest FAA-licensed orbital rocket. The Astra rocket has never carried a payload to orbit. It is almost twice the size of the Camden Special, the fictional rocket approved for Spaceport Camden. A “Spaceport” Camden without a rocket is nothing more than a contaminated former industrial site that has already cost Camden taxpayers more than 11 million dollars.
Superior Court Approves Land Purchase Injunction and Denies $20 Million Bond
And Finally, Judge Not Happy Being Misled By County Employee
Those present in the Courtroom on January 11, 2022, are not surprised that upon review of the transcripts, the Judge has recognized that some testimony provided by County Administrator Steve Howard does not square with the facts within the contractual agreement between Union Carbide and Camden County. At the very least, taxpayers expect the County Commissioners to act accordingly.
The County has never revealed the full content of the agreements it has signed with Union Carbide.