Department of Defense Awards Astra Contract Valued Up to $44 Million
Credit: Astra
Astra, a leading provider of launch services and spacecraft engines, announced that it has been awarded a contract by Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) with a ceiling of up to $44 Million. The contract supports advancing and scaling the production capabilities of Astra’s unique tactically responsive launch system, to achieve the prototype objective of launching Rocket 4 to orbit or suborbit and from the US, Australia, or other locations.
“This award is a testament not only to our team’s perseverance this past year, but also a validation of our vision for tactically responsive space,” said Chris Kemp, Founder and CEO of Astra. “We’re proud to have so many partners who understand and support the importance of point-to-point space delivery for national security and defense applications.”
This contract facilitates the continued development of Astra’s Launch System 2 including the demonstration of automated laser welding capabilities in the production of Rocket 4, advanced concepts of Launch System 2’s ground infrastructure, and the industrialization of Astra’s production facilities.
“This is a major vote of confidence in Astra and the continued development of Rocket 4 and our next gen launch system,” said Dr. Adam London, Founder and CTO of Astra. “We are honored to partner with the DIU as we bring Rocket 4 to market with a renewed focus on reliability and scale.”
Astra intends to design and manufacture all of its rockets at its campus in Alameda, California, in its 250,000 sq. ft. manufacturing and testing facilities. These co-located, state-of-the art production and testing facilities have allowed Astra to rapidly iterate, reduce dependencies on third-party suppliers, and deliver for customers.
Astra delivered its first commercial launch to low Earth orbit in 2021, and subsequently 22 satellites to orbit in March of 2022. Launch System 2 is one of the lowest cost-per-launch dedicated orbital launch systems and is highly optimized for small constellation deployment, tactically responsive space (TacRS), point-to-point delivery, and national security and defense applications.