Astra fails, sends NASA's Tropics weather satellites back to Earth

The first of NASA's TROPICS constellation launches came to an unscheduled end over the weekend as the Astra launch vehicle it was riding failed to deliver the cubesats to orbit. It was all going so well. The two cubesats lifted off atop an Astra Rocket 3 from Space Launch Complex 46 at approximately 1343 EDT on June 12, 2022 …

[hoola]

It is all about the terminology

I just love the way these sorts of statements are worded:

"We had a nominal first stage flight. The upper stage shut down early and we did not deliver the payloads to orbit."

Translates into

"The rocket failed to reach orbit and the payload was destroyed."

[Pascal Monett]

Re: It is all about the terminology

Yeah, but, scientifically.

[The Oncoming Scorn]

"Space is hard."

Space is big, really big.

Sorry not sorry - Pint to Douglas.

[ClockworkOwl]

Re: "Space is hard."

And yet they still missed?

Maybe they were trying to fly instead...

[Alan Brown]

Re: "Space is hard."

and the earth is really really hard at these speeds - even the wet bits

[Boris the Cockroach]

Re: "Space is hard."

They dont even make it down to the wet bits... even the air is hard at those speeds

[vincent himpe]

Re: "Space is hard."

ask the whale .. or the petunia

[OldCrow 1975]

Better call Elon

Looks like SpaceX is the only sure ticket to space. Unless THAT IS IF FAILURE IS AN OPTION.

Better call Musk.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Better call Elon

If the solution is Elon Tessier-Ashpool then civilisation is fucked.