Firing complete! The first stage for the maiden flight of our suborbital Proton-X rocket has completed a 83-second firing ahead of flight in December!

Bye bye, second stage! This video was taken by one of our EarthComms satellite, as it separated from @EclipseSpaceKSP’s Helix’s second stage!

Following the engine malfunction on Hydrogen‘s first flight, teams have certified the two engines for Hydrogen’s next flight with several upgrades that were tested. The engines are currently getting prepared to be installed on the second stage, ahead of a static fire.

Fire up! Following completion of load testing last week, the first stage for Hydrogen’s second flight completed an 85-second firing in preparation for flight. The first stage will now be prepared for transport to Sriharikota.

Hydrogen is going reusable. Starting with Flight 2, we will begin trying to recover Hydrogen’s first stage via parachute. The stage can return to both a splashdown or a land landing, increasing flexibility across missions.

Views of Hydrogen as it lifted off for its maiden flight yesterday.

The kickstage burned when the rocket was in an off-nominal orientation, leading both the kickstage and EarthComms-0 to undergo a destructive reentry in an airspace and seaspace that was already cleared. (3/3)

The flight proceeded nominally until the final phase of second stage flight, when we had an engine shutdown on the second stage and we lost attitude control of the vehicle, and even though second stage separation and kickstage ignition were achieved, they were off-nominal. (2/3)

Today, we launched Hydrogen’s first flight, with the ambitious goal of reaching orbit. Even though we fell short of that goal, we achieved all three of our main goals - liftoff, clearing the tower and stage separation. And as a bonus, we even got to space. (1/3)

Hydrogen has passed the Karmán line! The fairings have deployed. Welcome to space, Hydrogen!