Astra’s Rocket 3.3, with NASA’s “meatball” logo on its fairing, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Credit: Astra / John Kraus
Astra has become the first company to receive a commercial launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration through a streamlined regulatory regime, clearing a procedural hurdle before launching a small rocket and four NASA-sponsored CubeSats into orbit Saturday from Cape Canaveral.

