Astra Space

How it happened

Astra Space was a small-rocket launch company aiming for low-cost, high-frequency orbital launches, valued at ~$3.9B after its 2021 SPAC debut. Repeated launch failures and a pivot toward spacecraft engines, combined with dwindling cash, crushed its valuation; its founders took it private at a near-zero price in 2024 and it was delisted, down roughly 99%. Glassdoor reviews across those years praised the engineering talent but described a top-heavy organization — employees repeatedly noted more managers and directors than the technicians actually building rockets. Many also recounted frequent, confusing changes of direction, including a costly mid-course reset of the rocket program itself.

Employee accounts paraphrase anonymous, unverified reviews posted publicly on Glassdoor ↗. See our methodology.