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Footage from 2020 shows Astra rocket exploding during prelaunch testing
Footage obtained by TechCrunch shows the catastrophic ending that Astra’s Rocket 3.0 suffered during prelaunch testing in March 2020.
The explosion, which occurred at Alaska’s Pacific Spaceport Complex, was simply reported as an “anomaly” at the time, an industry term for pretty much any issue that deviates from the expected outcome. Astra had been one of the biggest success stories for space industry investors, with the startup going public in July 2021 at a $2.1 billion valuation after rasising nearly $500 million for its ultra-low-cost launch plans. But those plans failed to materialize, and after months of burning cash, Astra’s board quietly accepted a take-private deal from Kemp and CTO Adam London at a stock price of just $0.50 per share.
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