California-based Astra scrapped a Thursday attempt at the first launch of its Rocket 3.1 booster from the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island. The halt of the countdown, about 25 minutes before take-off, was to allow Astra to examine a faulty sensor. Earlier push-backs of the launch window in August and earlier in September made September 10 the start of the new launch window.
Astra communicated the delay via Twitter. Their plan was to look at launching from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on September 10, and after the delay, they have yet to announce the next launch window.
The rocket has already cleared a static hotfire test, which is essentially a dress rehearsal where engines are fired at full thrust.
Astra aims to provide inexpensive rides to space for small satellites with the 38-foot-tall Rocket 3.1 and its successors. The upcoming flight will not be carrying any payloads, as it is merely a demonstration mission.
They explain in their online mission description what the goals are: “For this flight, our first orbital attempt, our primary objective is to achieve a nominal first stage burn. If we make it this far, we’ll be happy with our progress and be well on our way to reaching orbit within 3 flights. The more we accomplish, the more we learn, and the closer we are to reaching orbit.”