Astra launch

[frisbee]

See if you can spot what goes wrong at the start, its quite subtle so the commentator didn't pick it up.

[AW111]

You're not supposed to drift in the parking lot. Or was Ken Block at the remote control?

[Fast and Spurious]

It got hit by a giant bird.

[Eric Mc]

Watched it live. It was quite interesting for all the wrong reasons. It looked like the rocket eventually broke apart at the moment of Main Engine Cut Off.

[eharding]

Looks like something broke at the base of the booster right at the start, related to the hold-down mechanism maybe? Started to topple, but then the guidance system seemed to save it, albeit flying sideways off the pad. Maybe the debris seen coming away just after the first stage engine cut off was related to the earlier damage, something that had been jutting out into the airflow on the way up but had been corrected for while the engine was running, once the engine stops no more active corrections, and the imbalance from the protruding debris caused it to tumble?

[MartG]

Lost one engine at ignition, leaving it with a thrust to weight ratio of 1, hence the hover

Good demonstration of the attitude control system though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2jU5W4ehPE

[AW111]

MartG said:

Lost one engine at ignition, leaving it with a thrust to weight ratio of 1, hence the hover

Good demonstration of the attitude control system though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2jU5W4ehPE

How did the commentary team miss that? They continued waffling on about "approaching max Q" as if it was pre-recorded.

[Beati Dogu]

Well that was different. I don’t think I’ve seen a rocket unintentionally sit on its tail and move sideways after launch since some early V-2 footage. It was like watching Starship’s flying grain silo tests.

AW111 said:

How did the commentary team miss that? They continued waffling on about "approaching max Q" as if it was pre-recorded.

That’s the sort of thing they do on Arianespace’s coverage.

Edited by Beati Dogu on Sunday 29th August 12:06

[rxe]

MartG said:

Lost one engine at ignition, leaving it with a thrust to weight ratio of 1, hence the hover

Good demonstration of the attitude control system though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2jU5W4ehPE

If I’d been the guy who wrote the code for controlling those engines, I’d be well chuffed with myself now. It really does show how the technology is coming along - 30 years ago, that would have probably been a fireball and wrecked launch pad.

[Eric Mc]

I've seen an Atlas launch from the later 1950s that behaved a bit like this. The range safety office eventually detonated it.

[frisbee]

Well they made it to orbit on their 4th attempt. A great effort, considering their first attempt was last year and the sideways launch was only a few months ago.

Blue Origin could learn a lesson or two from them.

[MartG]

Full webcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97qhttuqtB4

[Beati Dogu]

Yes, well done to Astra. SpaceX took 4 goes to get it right as well.

[Eric Mc]

Nice to see another contender on the block. The legacy launch companies have their work cut out now if they want to stay viable.

[MartG]

Astra scrubs 1st Florida launch attempt due to faulty 'range asset'

https://www.space.com/astra-scrub-florida-launch-r...

[Eric Mc]

And another scrub yesterday immediately after engine ignition. It's always a bit worrying when the countdown reaches zero, the engines light up - and then everything shuts down.

[Beati Dogu]

Well it looks like the first stage worked ok, but the fairing deployment went wrong and the upper stage went haywire. Total loss I expect.

[MartG]

Looked like the 2nd stage separated inside the fairing, and the fairing only deployed when the 2nd stage engine lit and blew it off. 2nd stage then tumbled

[MartG]

Clip of the failure

https://youtu.be/d-FmHqUM40k