Moscow, June 13 (UNI/Sputnik) A carrier rocket of the California-based private company Astra Space failed to launch two NASA satellites into orbit.
The Astra LV0010 rocket took off from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida on Sunday, but the second stage of the booster malfunctioned and the payload was lost, the company said in a statement.
The two NASA satellites that were supposed to be put into orbit were meant to improve hurricane forecasts.
In February, Astra lost the first satellite payload it tried to launch with NASA when the rocket carrying four small research satellites known as CubeSats failed to reach orbit after an initially successful launch from Cape Canaveral. The failed operation was Astra Space’s first attempt at an operational satellite launch.
In March, Astra succeeded in launching operational satellites into orbit.
