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Company type | Private |
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Industry | Aerospace |
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Founder |
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Headquarters | Alameda, California, U.S. |
Key people | Chris Kemp (CEO) Adam London (CTO)[3] |
Number of employees | 100 (2023) |
Website | astra |
Part of a series on |
Private spaceflight |
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Active companies |
Active vehicles |
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Astra Space, Inc., formerly known as Ventions, LLC from 2005 - 2016, is an American space company based in Alameda, California, with facilities in Sunnyvale, California and Atwater, California. The company was initially an aerospace technology research firm that focused on SBIR contracts, developing small rocket engines for use on launch vehicles and satellite propulsion.[4] In 2012, the company shifted to developing launch vehicles and was selected for the DARPA ALASA program, eventually leading to the development and launch of the Astra Rocket series of launch vehicle utilizing both government and private funding after reincorporating itself to Astra Space, Inc. in 2016.[5][6][7] The company would have their first successful launch in 2021, nine years after the start of development, after 6 previous failed attempts.[8]
Astra became publicly traded in 2021 through a SPAC merger, reaching a valuation of over $3 billion.[9][10] The company diversified to become a satellite propulsion manufacturer, acquiring Apollo Fusion.[11] However, continued failures of Astra space launch vehicles resulted in financial difficulties, and in 2022, the company discontinued its active launch vehicles, later ending development of its planned successor.[12] To avoid bankruptcy following over $750 million in losses, the company agreed to be taken private by its CEO and CTO in 2023, and the deal was finalized in July 2024.[13][14]
Astra currently markets an ion propulsion system, the Astra Spacecraft Engine, producing thrusters for small satellites including those of the Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture megaconstellations.[15]
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