John Kraus.
The ranks of companies capable of spaceflight grew slightly. The first rocket for the company, called the Rocket 3 booster, was launched at 1AM Eastern today. The startup put a mass simulator into a high altitude spaceport as part of a demonstration for the US Air Force's Rapid Agile Launch Initiative.
This success has been a long time coming. The rocket failed to reach space three times before, including a second attempt where it didn't have enough speed to reach the desired altitude.
Chris Kemp said that the company was just getting started despite the success. It's a significant moment. There are only a few options for companies and researchers to get access to space, either by hitching a ride on one of the not-so-common missions or by using a few options like Rocket Lab. Astra hopes to produce its rockets quickly so that it can deliver many small objects in a timely fashion. It might lower prices and make space more viable.
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