After weeks of bad weather, an Earthquake and other delays, private space startup Astra launched its orbital rocket on the first of three tests from Alaska last week. On Sept. 11, Rocket 3.1 launched from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska. That triggered a shutdown of the engines by the flight safety system and the rocket broke apart, tumbling back down in a fiery explosion. “I don’t think that’s supposed to happen,” someone says, and then when the explosion can be seen from the launch site, “holy moly!”Culton and her viewing party were worried about the Astra launch operators. Rocket 3.1's orbital launch attempt pic.twitter.com/nm1bDewdl5 — Astra (@Astra) September 12, 2020The next rocket, called 3.2 is ready for Astra’s second orbital launch test, according to the company.

Relativity Space is developing its Terran 1 rocket, the first fully 3D-printed launch vehicle, at its headquarters in Long Beach, California. The company already has a launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Launch Complex 16, which is under construction. On Wednesday, Relativity Space revealed it has signed a right of entry agreement with the U.S. Air Force 30th Space Wing to develop launch facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Space. If approved, the B-330 launch site will allow spacecraft launches to polar and sun-synchronous orbits from the West Coast, according to a news release. A Relativity Space robotic engineer operates Stargate, the world's largest 3D printer, on June 10, 2019 at the company's California headquarters.