Ever since we began traveling to space we sent along scientific instruments to study the environment that exists outside our atmosphere. Much of these observations could be transmitted home as data during the flight, allowing for partial mission success if the rocket and any additional more detailed data stored on board could not be recovered afterwards. Sending living specimens up into space however requires close examination after they have been returned to the surface which is why this most recent Progeny Mk6 Block I flight, after a series of successful recoveries, carried aloft our first living samples of micro-organisms known as “mystery goo“. Unfortunately, the rocket was not recovered intact, leading to the first failed mission of the Progeny Mk6 series.
The Flight
While the original launch date was delayed due to a high-pressure region sitting over the area around KSC for a few days and baking the surface with temperatures topping 100°F, on the rescheduled launch day of 7/31 there were no issues leading up to an on-time launch at 19:24:00.02 local time. The ascent of the rocket was nominal through all three stages, ending up on a sub-orbital trajectory with an apokee of 495.451km.
