Astra Fixes Propellant Leak, Targets Late October Return to Flight
Rocket startup Astra concludes its investigation into an August failure caused by a propellant leak and engine shutdown. The company prepares for its fifth launch attempt, carrying a Space Force payload later this month.
Rocket startup Astra completes its investigation into a dramatic August mission failure and sets a new launch window for late October. The previous flight ends just 148 seconds after takeoff when a propellant leak causes an engine shutdown, though the rocket still manages to reach an altitude of 30 miles. Now, the recently public company aims to try again with its LV0007 vehicle, which carries a test payload for the U.S. Space Force.
Chief Engineer Benjamin Lyon explains that the August failure occurs because propellant becomes trapped between the rocket and the launcher, where exhaust from other engines ignites it. This unexpected ignition severs electronic connections to the fuel pump and disables an engine less than a second after liftoff. Working alongside the Federal Aviation Administration, Astra identifies this specific sequence of events as the root cause of the dramatic mid-air drift and ultimate mission loss.
To prevent a recurrence, Astra modifies the rocket-to-launcher design to ensure leaked propellants do not mix and updates the propellant supply mechanism. The company opens its next launch window from October 27 through October 31 in Kodiak, Alaska, with a backup window in early November. CEO Chris Kemp emphasizes that the short August flight still provides valuable data that the team incorporates into the upcoming LV0007 vehicle.