Name: Maiden Flight — Astra Rocket 4
Start: 2027-01-31T00:00:00Z
End: 2027-01-31T00:00:00Z
Location: Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Question 1

What rocket is launching Maiden Flight?

Accepted Answer

Maiden Flight is launching on the Astra Rocket 4.

Question 2

Who is launching Maiden Flight?

Accepted Answer

Maiden Flight is being launched by Astra Space, a commercial launch provider founded in 2005.

Question 3

Where is Maiden Flight launching from?

Accepted Answer

Maiden Flight is launching from Unknown Pad at Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Maiden Flight heading to?

Accepted Answer

Maiden Flight is heading to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Question 5

Is the Astra Rocket 4 reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Astra Rocket 4 is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

What is the Maiden Flight mission?

Accepted Answer

First flight of Astra Space's second generation small satellite launch vehicle.

Question 7

Where is NASA's Wallops Flight Facility?

Accepted Answer

Wallops Flight Facility is NASA's own launch range on Virginia's Eastern Shore, operating since 1945 and managed through Goddard Space Flight Center. It also hosts the commercial Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS).

Question 8

What launches from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

Wallops flies NASA's long-running sounding-rocket programme alongside orbital launches: Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo missions to the ISS on the Antares rocket from Pad 0A, Minotaur vehicles from Pad 0B, and Rocket Lab's Electron from Launch Complex 2.

Question 9

Can you watch a launch from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

The NASA Wallops Visitor Center is the designated public viewing area and posts information for each flight. Nearby Chincoteague and the Assateague seashore also give open-horizon views across the water.

Question 10

What was the first orbital launch from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

The first orbital launch from Wallops was TacSat-2, on an Orbital Sciences Minotaur in December 2006. Wallops later launched LADEE, the first deep-space mission to fly from Virginia, in 2013.

Maiden Flight

What to expect

Watch it here

Overview

Mission details

Astra Rocket 4 Specs

Astra Space

Unknown Pad

Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Launch window

Schedule Updates

Social Flight Log

Photo gallery

Frequently asked questions