Astra announced it is targeting 1:50 p.m. EST for launch of its Rocket 3.3 from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The rocket is scheduled to carry its payload of four CubeSats to low-Earth orbit as part of NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa 41) mission.
This is the first launch under NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract. The three-hour launch window remains opens until 4 p.m. EST.
Astra Space Inc. was one of three companies selected as service providers to launch small satellites (SmallSats) to space, including CubeSats, microsats or nanosatellites, through VCLS Demo 2 contracts awarded by NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP), based at Kennedy Space Center. LSP supports the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) by providing opportunities for small satellite payloads built by universities, high schools, and non-profit organizations to fly on upcoming launches.
Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by tagging these accounts:
Twitter: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @Astra
Facebook: NASA, NASALSP
Instagram: @NASA, @AstraSpace