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Astra Test Launch 6 suffers anomalies [video]
- breckenedge 5y agoThat was a fantastic launch. God speed, Astra.
- Gravityloss 5y agoSome notes. At the very start, almost tipped over. Very low thrust at start, rocket basically hovered and translated horizontally. But managed to climb eventually. Some puff of smoke before max Q. Flew to max Q anyway. Then lost control, cartwheeled rapidly. If it has many engines, then one engine running really rough or not at all would explain it.
- mattashii 5y ago> Flew to max Q anyway. Then lost control, cartwheeled rapidly. Cartwheeling / lack of control only really started after engines stopped firing, which (coincidentally?) is also the flight abort mode of this rocket. So, the apparent lack of control might have been a controlled abort.
- jcims 5y agoIt’s pointed out in the YouTube comments, but if you look at the bottom right the base of the rocket at take off you’ll see a hold down clamp malfunction or something, and the part that flips up and smacks the rocket body appears to be the part that let loose at MECO. I’m a little surprised they didn’t terminate as soon as things got sideways (literally), but glad they let it have a go. Flight control software got a workout.
- bodhiandphysics 5y agoYou don’t want to destroy gse... if the rocket can go up, you let it go up!
- lmilcin 5y agoBut why terminate? To trade almost certain explosion on launchpad for certain one? What does that buy?
- jcims 5y agoIt's not a criticism, like I said I'm glad they were able to let it rip. It's just that most intentional flight terminations I've seen are on somewhat of a hair trigger.
- sam_bristow 5y agoDoes Astra use an autonomous flight-termination system or one with a human-in-the-loop?
- jcims 5y agoMy guess is its human-in-the-loop at this time, if they have one at all. This was a previous launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDvtTjBDxkw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDvtTjBDxkw
- jccooper 5y agoProps to the GNC team.