The first flight of ABL Space Systems’ RS1 launch vehicle failed. The rocket failed to reach orbit during its launch on January 10. The company chose not to broadcast the launch online, instead announcing the process via social media. 20 minutes after the scheduled launch, the company declared a failure.

After launch, the RS1 encountered an anomaly and shut down prematurely. The team works with the PSCA and FAA on our anomaly response procedures. ABL Space Systems

In subsequent updates, the company said the nine engines on the first stage shut down simultaneously, causing the rocket to crash onto the runway and explode. The company did not say how long after launch the engines were turned off and at what altitude the rocket was.

As expected in this scenario, the startup installation is corrupt. All personnel safe, fire extinguished. We will plan our return to flight once the investigation is complete. We thank the stakeholders and the space community for their support. ABL Space Systems

“This is the outcome we are preparing for today, not what we hoped for,” the company said.

The RS1 is a small launch vehicle developed by ABL, capable of launching up to 1,350 kg into low Earth orbit. The two-stage rocket has nine E2 engines in the first stage and one E2 engine in the upper stage, which uses kerosene and liquid oxygen. The rocket is designed to launch objects with minimal infrastructure. At its initial launch, the RS1 carried two small satellites from OmniTeq.