California-based space travel and space launch company ABL Space Systems’ RS1 rocket encountered an anomaly, thus leading to the failure of its maiden voyage. As a result, the rocket was unable to deliver a pair of CubeSats to low Earth orbit (LEO) as planned.

After a series of delays due to technical and weather reasons, the RS1 rocket lifted off from a pad at the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Alaska’s Kodiak Island. However, shortly after, it experienced an anomaly and prematurely shut down.

This was the second failed mission to occur during the week with Virgin Orbit’s first-ever launch from the UK suffering an anomaly , ultimately causing the “Start Me Up” mission to fail.

Analyst QuickTake: The drastic increase in satellite launches supported by the deployment of major constellations of satellites has created the requirement for frequent rides to space, paving the way for startups like ABL and Virgin Orbit to enter the market. Although both companies suffered anomalies this week, such occurrences are typical in the industry as most startups (including SpaceX) have suffered at least one launch failure.