The two companies announced Monday that Astra’s new Rocket 4 launch vehicle will use Ursa Major’s Hadley liquid engine to power the upper stage.
Astra has been so mum about the new upper-stage engine that will power its new Rocket 4 rocket that CEO Chris Kemp told investors just last year that the rocket’s increased payload capacity was thanks in part to engine upgrades. The engine outsourcing helps explain how Astra was able to quickly focus on its plans for Rocket 4, including doubling the launch vehicle’s payload capacity from 300kg to 600kg.
The Rocket 4 represents a significant departure from the Astra, which has historically focused on ultra-lightweight, high-racing rockets. After a series of launch failures and in response to customer input, the company said it would go in a completely different direction. When Astra announced the change last August, Kemp said the company was particularly keen to target massive tower operators with its high-capacity system.
Astra plans to conduct initial test launches later this year. Kemp said whether the company resumes commercial launches this year will depend on how those tests are conducted.
Astra is the company’s latest launcher to use Ursa engines. Ursa also counts Phantom Space and Stratolaunch among its customers. The Colorado-based engine manufacturer also recently struck a deal with the US Air Force to deliver about 30 Hadley engines a year. In addition to the Hadley, Ursa is developing a significantly more powerful Ripley engine, which will be able to generate about 10 times more thrust.
The news confirmed a rumor long circulating among space enthusiasts that the two companies had inked a deal. Rumors began swirling when Astra released the first payload user guide for the Rocket 4 last November, and space investigators noted that the upper-stage engine was listed as being turbo-fed and capable of generating nearly 6,500 pounds of thrust. People have speculated that it could just be Hadley’s type, given the time and financial constraints facing the Astra. It turns out they were right.