Astra Space, a space travel and launch company, has secured a USD 11.5 million task order from the Department of Defense (DoD) to launch experimental payloads. The mission named STP-S29B is expected to launch in April 2025 aboard Astra’s new launch vehicle, Astra 4.

The STP-S29 mission was split into two launches, with Northrop Grumman being responsible for STP-S29A. STP-S29B, a category 2 mission assurance launch, will require additional certifications and risk assessments compared to Astra’s previous launches, representing its increasing coordination with the US Space force, and will feature scientific experiments and technology demonstrations with the goal of advancing DoD’s space capabilities.

This contract was awarded under the US Space Force’s Orbital Services Program OSP-4, an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract.