Enlarge / A Falcon 9 rocket launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base. (credit: SpaceX)

As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don’t want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Astra says failure is an option. After operating in stealth mode for a little more than three years, the Alameda, California-based rocket company has revealed its intentions. Among the crowd of would-be small-satellite launch vehicles, Astra stands out for several reasons: it is moving fast, aims to be insanely cheap, and is rigorously following an iterative design process. Perhaps most importantly, the company is willing to fail.