Alaska

Rocket builder ABL’s inaugural launch fails shortly after liftoff, damages launchpad

Published

2 years ago

January 11, 2023

Press Room

Rocket builder ABL’s inaugural launch fails shortly after liftoff, damages launchpad

The corporate’s RS1 rocket lifts off on its inaugural launch try from Kodiak, Alaska on Jan. 10, 2023.

ABL House

The primary mission by ABL House obtained off the bottom on Tuesday, however the firm’s RS1 rocket suffered a problem early within the flight that triggered it to fail shortly after lifting off.

ABL President Dan Piemont informed CNBC that the RS1 rocket stayed throughout the predefined “acceptable flight hall” in the course of the quick launch, however after rocket’s engines shut down, the automobile “impacted instantly on the launch pad,” inflicting harm.

It wasn’t instantly clear what triggered the problem that interrupted the flight. The corporate is investigating the mishap and assessing the harm alongside the Federal Aviation Administration and Alaska Aerospace, the latter which operates the Pacific Spaceport Advanced on Kodiak Island, Alaska.

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“We hoped to fly a bit farther as we speak, however we ready for and accepted the chance of any end result together with a failure on the pad. The Flight 2 automobile is totally assembled and we’re excited to make the required pad repairs and get again to it,” Piemont wrote in a response to CNBC on Wednesday.

ABL’s RS1 rocket stands about 90 toes tall, and is designed to launch as a lot as 1,350 kilograms (or practically 1.5 tons) of payload to low Earth orbit – at a worth of $12 million per launch. That places RS1 in the course of the industrial launch market, between Rocket Lab’s smaller Electron and SpaceX’s heavy-class Falcon 9.

The corporate has raised $420 million up to now, with a $2.4 billion valuation as of its most up-to-date fundraise in October 2021, from traders together with T. Rowe Worth, Constancy, and Lockheed Martin Ventures. Its purpose has been to succeed in orbit with RS1 spending lower than $100 million.

ABL’s failure to succeed in orbit is an additional instance of the excessive danger within the improvement and early flights of an orbital rocket, which has been notably difficult for corporations focusing on the small and medium weight courses of the market.

On Monday, Virgin Orbit’s sixth mission additionally suffered a mid-flight anomaly, and Astra has been grounded since its most up-to-date flight final yr resulted in failure and it pivoted to creating a brand new rocket. Firefly Aerospace reached orbit for the primary time on its second flight try in October, and even Rocket Lab – the present chief within the small launch class after a flawless 2022 – has had its shares of launch failures over the previous few years.

The corporate’s RS1 rocket stands in preparation for launch from Kodiak, Alaska.

ABL House

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Alaska

Raised In Alaska Spotting Moose And Grizzly On Trail Cameras

Published

7 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Raised In Alaska Spotting Moose And Grizzly On Trail Cameras

We’re sharing some of the Last Frontier adventures of the popular YouTube account Raised In Alaska. This week: Moose and grizzly trail camera shots.

YouTube screenshot/Raised In Alaska

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Alaska

Fatal vehicle collision left one dead, two injured at mile 91 of Seward Highway, APD says

Published

15 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Fatal vehicle collision left one dead, two injured at mile 91 of Seward Highway, APD says

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – On Thursday, a vehicle collision at mile 91 of the Seward Highway left one dead and two injured, according to an update from APD.

The collision involved two vehicles — a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle.

The Girdwood Fire Department responded at about 8:41 p.m. and pronounced the male driver of the vehicle dead at the scene.

APD says a male and female were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

At the time of publication, the southbound and northbound lanes of the Seward Highway remain closed.

APD is currently investigating the circumstances of the collision and the victim’s identity will be released once they have completed next-of-kin procedures.

Original Story: An incident involving two vehicles at mile 91 of Seward Highway leaves two injured, according to Anchorage Police Department (APD).

APD is responding to the scene and travelers should expect closures at mile 91 for both northbound and southbound lanes of the Seward Highway for at least the next 3 to 4 hours.

Updates will be made as they become available.

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Alaska

Strong winds destroy deer shelter at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Published

24 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Strong winds destroy deer shelter at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Strong winds in the Portage area on Monday destroyed a shelter building at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center that was used to house Sitka deer. The conservation center says 80 mph winds swept through Portage Valley.

The conservation center says no animals were injured, but they are quickly raising money to rebuild. Their goal is $30,000, and as of Thursday morning, they have already fundraised over $26,000.

Sales & Marketing Director Nicole Geils said, “The shelter was in their habitat. It was essential for providing them a safe Haven during harsh weather. It’s a really useful area for when we’re feeding and doing enrichment with the deer and it’s also a safe space for recovery after medical procedures when needed.”

Executive Director Sarah Howard described how she learned about the damage.

“We had a staff member that radioed, ‘The shelter’s gone!’ And a couple of us were at least able to make a little light of the situation. Like, did it go to Oz? And thankfully, it didn’t go too far, and the deer were okay,” Howard said.

The conservation center is still accepting donations through their website.

Strong winds destroy deer shelter at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center(Courtesy Nicole Geils)