Chris Kemp

Astra just delivered our first customer payloads into Earth orbit! I am so proud of the unwavering commitment of our incredible team. Thank you to our customers, shareholders, partners, and to @FAANews for helping us achieve this important milestone. #AdAstra @SpaceflightInc

@spongerob72 @Peter_J_Beck @Astra Cape Canaveral

@Kemp @Peter_J_Beck @Astra @kemp where will rocket 4 be launching from?

We welcome the competition, @Peter_J_Beck. 100+ engines delivered last year, 100% on-orbit reliability — @Astra is leading in propulsion. Next up: returning to the pad. Rocket 4 is coming…

@planet4589 Hopefully things will be fine when we get the final numbers. Fingers crossed!

Unfortunately there's not enough data on Blue's webcast to derive a SECO-1 orbit, but it may have been fine - the velocity on the screen is in the rotating Earth frame and seems reasonable, for those worried it was too low.

@planet4589 @blueorigin @AST_SpaceMobile Agreed. unfortunately. It at 154×494 km @ 36.1°. Stowed, drag accel ≈ EP thrust accel — closer race than it looks. But the orbit has days and EP needs weeks to raise perigee meaningfully. Difficult to escape a 154 km hole. Watching for @planet4589’s next TLE.

The @BlueOrigin @AST_SpaceMobile launch has been tracked by Space Force as catalog 68765, 2026-85A, in a 154 x 494 km x 36.1 deg orbit. Epoch is 1138 UTC which is the time of SECO-1, so this may not be the final orbit. (If it is, then they are indeed toast).

@scotto2050 @mottbox_ @Peter_J_Beck @Astra Yes

@Kemp @mottbox_ @Peter_J_Beck @Astra Is Rocket 4 still on track for a 2026 launch? Looking forward to seeing Astra back in the ring 👀 🚀 @Kemp

@innovatesAI @Peter_J_Beck @Astra 100% reliability over 5 past years is a fact. 110 units delivered last year is a fact. 200+ units/year is marketing.

@Kemp @Peter_J_Beck @Astra 100% reliability? Bold claim from a team famous for crater-hopping. I will take 200+ units/year with proven process over marketing metrics.

What Report? Here are the facts: When we bought Apollo Fusion, a single engine had flown, but had not yet ignited on orbit. After buying the company, we sold hundreds of engines and delivered 100 in 9 months last year. 100% of Astra satellite engines that are in orbit are operational. This is a great product designed and manufactured by a great team, and we have everyone we need to make the product even better, which we are actively doing.

@Kemp @Peter_J_Beck @Astra Every report out there is that Astra destroyed Apollo Fusion after you bought it. Starlink brought on the people from Apollo Fusion and created Starlink's thrusters. techcrunch.com/2023/08/28/ast…

@lrocket @Peter_J_Beck @Astra Love

@Kemp @Peter_J_Beck @Astra I’m here for this electric rivalry🍿

@LibbySchaaf Congrats Libby! Thank you for your leadership and taking on this new role.

Excited to advance progress and regional solutions for our beloved Bay Area as the next President & CEO of the Bay Area Council! sfchronicle.com/bayarea/articl…

@mattlindn @Peter_J_Beck @Astra We bought that company 5 years ago. This success was Astra’s success.

@Kemp @Peter_J_Beck @Astra Astra isn't leading, the company you BOUGHT is leading. Had nothing to do with Astra.

@Staudinger333 @Peter_J_Beck @Astra We have not.

This is not the flex you think it is, brother. Numerous failed launches and the cash burned to acquire Apollo Fusion forced this pivot into selling electric propulsion thrusters. Have you made enough profit yet to account for this acquisition? Also, not a good idea to poke the bear (@Peter_J_Beck). Remember what happened last time?

@josramirezmor @Peter_J_Beck @Astra Amen

@Kemp @Peter_J_Beck @Astra I just love seeing all these friendly interactions and healthy competition in commercial space industry. ❤️ 💀

@grok @ItzBermuda @Peter_J_Beck @Astra Thanks @grok!

No major flaws found. Astra's official Jan 20, 2026 press release confirms: shipped 110 satellite engine systems since Jan 1, 2025 (exceeding 100+), with 100% mission reliability to date on all deployed units (all performing nominally). This matches the claim exactly for their electric propulsion systems. "Leading in propulsion" is subjective positioning vs. Rocket Lab's just-unveiled Gauss thruster (new, targeting 200+/yr production but unproven at scale yet). Their rocket program is separate and not referenced here.

@JacobKeeton20 @Peter_J_Beck @Astra Electric propulsion sold to satellite companies is implied here, and @Astra is objectively leading in this category.

@Kemp @Peter_J_Beck @Astra I think the 850+ Rutherford and 200+ Curie engines used by electron/kickstage/Capstone means RL is leading in propulsion but we welcome the competition in EP 😉

@HeeraniPK @Peter_J_Beck @Astra Astra was founded in 2016, and had successful orbital launches by 2021.

@Vantadaga @Peter_J_Beck @Astra SpaceX is leading in satellite broadband. They do not sell satellite engines.

@Kemp @Peter_J_Beck @Astra @Astra is leading in propulsion. Meanwhile SpaceX has 10000 ion thrusters lol

Focus on what you can control. Build something, anything. A product, yourself, a family, your community, a team, a company or organization, relationships. Or help someone else do it. Don't complain or be a victim, ever. #PlayNiceButWin

Honored to be included again. Our focus stays the same: doing the work that gets us back to the pad. #adastra

@johnkrausphotos @NASAAdmin Congrats John! @johnkrausphotos

I’m humbled and energized to bring my passion for photography and storytelling to NASA and work under @NASAAdmin Jared Isaacman as Special Communications Assistant to the Administrator. With my focus now fully on working alongside the best and brightest at NASA, my independent media coverage and for-hire work comes to an end. Thank you all for following along over the years! Be sure to follow NASA’s channels to see great content from across the agency. I have deep respect for NASA’s communicators and creatives, individuals whose work I’ve followed and admired for a long time. I’m profoundly grateful for the opportunity to work with them to help continue sharing NASA’s story with the widest audience possible and inspiring the next generation to look up to the stars. Under Administrator Isaacman’s leadership, we will do just that. John Kraus Special Communications Assistant to the Administrator NASA