...the who's who,
and the what's what 
of the space industry

Space Careers

news Space News

Search News Archive

Title

Article text

Keyword

  • Home
  • News
  • Private U.S. space company ABL fails to launch from Alaska

Private U.S. space company ABL fails to launch from Alaska

Written by  Thursday, 12 January 2023 05:55
Write a comment
Washington DC (UPI) Jan 11, 2023
An effort to put a satellite launcher into low-Earth orbit from Alaska's Kodiak Island failed after the rocket crashed back to the launchpad, destroying the facility, private U.S. company ABL Space Systems said. The ABL RS1 lifted off from its Kodiak Island launchpad midafternoon Alaska time on Tuesday. The company said through its official Twitter account that it experienced an "anomal

An effort to put a satellite launcher into low-Earth orbit from Alaska's Kodiak Island failed after the rocket crashed back to the launchpad, destroying the facility, private U.S. company ABL Space Systems said.

The ABL RS1 lifted off from its Kodiak Island launchpad midafternoon Alaska time on Tuesday. The company said through its official Twitter account that it experienced an "anomaly" about 20 minutes after liftoff.

Later, ABL said all of the first-stage engines shut down at the same time, causing the rocket to crash back down to the launchpad.

"As expected in this scenario, there is damage to the launch facility," the company said on Twitter. "All personnel are safe and fires have subsided. We'll plan our return to flight after investigations are complete. "

ABL is joining a growing list of private companies working to get into the space race. Elon Musk's SpaceX program is sending the Starlink satellite constellation into space and delivering supplies to the International Space Station, while government-based agencies focus their attention on Mars.

SpaceX on Wednesday confirmed its unmanned Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down off the coast of Florida after returning from the ISS intact. But Virgin Orbit's efforts to send nine satellites to orbit by hitching a ride on a modified Boeing 747-400 nicknamed "Cosmic Girl" failed to achieve success after its Monday launch attempt from Britain.

Like ABL, Virgin Orbit said an "anomaly" prevented the satellites from sustaining orbit. ABL started preparations for its Alaska launch in September, though it's faced setbacks since.

In November, it lauded a "flawless day of operations" on an initial launch attempt, that is until a valve on a fuel system failed, causing a leak of helium and scrubbing the mission.

Founded in 2017, ABL says its expendable rocket system can carry a payload of up to 2,970 pounds into low-Earth orbit.


Related Links
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal



ROCKET SCIENCE
Heat shield inspections underway on Artemis I Orion spacecraft
Kennedy Space Center FL (SPX) Jan 09, 2023
Inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, engineers and technicians conduct inspections of the heat shield on the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission. Orion returned to Kennedy on Dec. 30, 2022, after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 11, following a 1.4-million-mile mission beyond the Moon and back. In this photo, technicians underneath the crew module closely examine the heat shield, which endured temperatures near 5,000 degrees Fahr ... read more


Read more from original source...

You must login to post a comment.
Loading comment... The comment will be refreshed after 00:00.

Be the first to comment.

Interested in Space?

Hit the buttons below to follow us...