Electron launches with OHB satellite. (Credit: Rocket Lab webcast)
MAHIA PENINSULA, NZ, Jan. 20, 2021 (OHB PR) — OHB Cosmos International, a company of OHB’s newly established business segment OHB DIGITAL, successfully launched the telecommunication satellite GMS-T on board an Electron launcher.
The satellite took off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula at 7.26 a.m. (UCT) on January 20th.The launch was performed only seven months after starting engineering activities for the satellite. After having reached the planned 1200 km/90 degree orbit the satellite has been activated and works as planned.
Fully loading the propellant and detecting no leaks is a major milestone for the Green Run test series. A total of 114 tanker trucks delivered propellant to six propellant barges next to the B-2 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. (Credits: NASA)
The upcoming holiday weekend (Martin Luther King Day on Monday) will see NASA conduct the long awaited Green Run hot fire of its Space Launch System rocket core and orbital launches by Rocket Lab, Virgin Orbit and SpaceX involving 71 satellites.
Saturday, January 16
Launch Vehicle: Rocket Lab Electron Mission Name: “Another One Leaves the Crust” Payload: OHB Group micro communications satellites Launch Time: 2:41 EST (0741 UTC) Launch Site: Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand Webcast: www.rocketlabusa.com (begins 15 minutes prior to launch)
UPDATE: Launch scrubbed as engineers examine sensor data. They have a 10-day launch window.
Hot Fire: Space Launch System Core Test Window: 5-7 p.m. EST (2200–0000 UTC) Test Site: Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss. Webcast:www.nasa.gov (begins at 4:20 p.m. EST/2120 UTC) Post-test Briefing: Approximately two hours after test completion on NASA website
Sunday, January 17
Launch Vehicle: Virgin Orbit LauncherOne/Cosmic Girl Mission Name: NASA ELaNa-20 mission Payloads: 10 CubeSats Launch Window: 1:00-5:00 p.m. EST (1800-2200 UMT) Launch Sites: Mojave Air and Space Port, California (Cosmic Girl Boeing 747), Pacific Ocean (LauncherOne)
Monday, January 18
Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9 Mission Name: Starlink V1.0-L16 Payloads: 60 Starlink broadband satellites Launch Time: 8:45 a.m. EST (1345 UTC) Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Webcast:www.spacex.com (begins 15 minutes before launch)
Electron launches with 10 satellites on Oct. 29, 2020. (Credit: Rocket Lab webcast)
LONG BEACH, Calif., January 5, 2021 (Rocket Lab PR) – Rocket Lab, the global leader in dedicated small satellite launch, has today announced its first Electron launch of the new year will be a dedicated mission for European space technology company OHB Group.
An Electron rocket lifts off with the StriX-α satellite. (Credit: Rocket Lab)
MAHIA PENINSULA, New Zealand (Rocket Lab PR) — Rocket Lab, the leading dedicated small launch provider and space systems company, has successfully launched its 17th Electron mission, deploying the first spacecraft to orbit for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data and solutions provider Synspective.
SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity makes first glide flight at Spaceport America in New Mexico. (Credit: Virgin Galactic)
SpaceX scrubbed the launch of the SXM-7 for SiriusXM satellite radio on Friday morning. The countdown for the Falcon 9 rocket was held at T-30 seconds.
“Standing down from today’s launch attempt to perform additional ground system checkouts; teams are working toward no earlier than Sunday, December 13 for next launch attempt of SXM-7,” SpaceX tweeted.
The window for Virgin Galactic’s first suborbital flight of SpaceShipTwo from Spaceport America in New Mexico opened on Friday. However, the company did not conduct a flight with scientific experiments.
“Good morning from NM. Vehicles and flight crew are ready. Flight window is now open. We will fly no earlier than Saturday. We have range clearance through the weekend and can extend into next week if necessary. Evaluating high-level winds and turbulence. Stay tuned for updates,” Virgin Galactic tweeted.
Rocket Lab has delayed its launch of the StriX-α synthetic aperture radar satellite from New Zealand by a day to Tuesday, Dec. 15 for a rather unusual reason.
“To avoid a solar eclipse that could affect Synspective’s mission, we’re now targeting Dec 15 for launch,” the company tweeted. “When customers request a new T-0, we’re happy to oblige. That’s the beauty of dedicated launch on Electron, our customers get to choose (and change!) their launch time.”
The target lift-off time for the The Owl’s Night Begins mission on Dec. 15 is:
UTC: 09:00-10:59 NZT: 22:00-23:59 JST: 18:00-19:59 PST: 01:00-02:59 EST: 04:00-05:59.
Electron launches with 10 satellites on Oct. 29, 2020. (Credit: Rocket Lab webcast)
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Rocket Lab PR) – Rocket Lab, a space technology company and global leader in dedicated small satellite launch, has today announced Japanese Earth-imaging company Synspective as the customer for Rocket Lab’s 17th Electron launch, and its seventh mission of the year.
Electron launches with 10 satellites on Oct. 29, 2020. (Credit: Rocket Lab webcast)
The mission will deploy 30 satellites to unique orbits using the Electron launch vehicle’s Kick Stage space tug
The satellites will enable internet from space, test new methods of deorbiting space debris, and enable research into predicting earthquakes
The launch will also feature a 3D printed mass simulator for Valve’s Gabe Newell to raise funds for Starship Children’s Hospital
LONG BEACH, Calif., November 2, 2020 (Rocket Lab PR) – Leading space systems company, Rocket Lab, has today announced its next Electron mission will feature a diverse range of payloads from the United States, France and New Zealand.
Electron launches with 10 satellites on Oct. 29, 2020. (Credit: Rocket Lab webcast)
MAHIA PENINSULA, New Zeland — Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket launched 10 small satellites into Earth orbit on Wednesday (Thursday local time) from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.
The “In Focus” rideshare mission orbited nine SuperDove Earth imaging satellites for Planet of San Francisco and a microsatellite with several telescopes aboard for Canon Electronics of Japan.
It was Rocket Lab’s Electron’s 15th launch overall and the fifth flight of the booster in 2020. The company has a record of 13 successes and two failures.
Planet’s nine SuperDove spacecraft were deployed into 500 km (311 mile) high sun synchronous orbits using Rocket Lab’s Maxwell satellite dispensers. They join Planet’s constellation of medium-resolution imaging satellites.
Canon Electronics’ CE-SAT-IIB is a technological demonstration satellite has a middle-sized telescope equipped with an ultra-high sensitivity camera capable of taking night images of the Earth. The spacecraft also has small-size telescopes suitable for CubeSat use.
Rideshare provider to deploy nine spacecraft for customers Canon Electronics, Kleos Space and Spire on next two missions
SEATTLE – October 14, 2020 – Spaceflight Inc., the leading satellite rideshare and mission management provider, today announced it will execute two launches on two different continents in a matter of weeks; one aboard a Rocket Lab Electron and the other on NewSpace India Limited’s (NSIL) PSLV. For both missions, Spaceflight arranged the launch and is providing mission management and rideshare integration services for its customers Canon Electronics, Kleos Space and Spire.
Electron lifts off with Capella Space synthetic aperture radar satellite on Aug. 31, 2020. (Credit: Rocket Lab webcast)
LONG BEACH, Calif., 21 September 2020 (Rocket Lab PR) – Leading space systems company, Rocket Lab, has today announced its next Electron launch will be a rideshare mission to low Earth orbit for Planet and Spaceflight Inc.’s customer Canon Electronics.
The mission – named ‘In Focus’ in a nod to the Earth-imaging satellites onboard – will lift-off in October from Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, in New Zealand. The mission will deploy a total of 10 satellites to precise and individual orbits.
Electron booster on the launch pad at Wallops Island. (Credit: Rocket Lab)
LONG BEACH, Calif., September 1, 2020 (Rocket Lab PR) – Rocket Lab, a space systems company and global leader in dedicated small satellite launch, has been granted a five-year Launch Operator License by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Electron missions from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2.
Electron lifts off with Capella Space synthetic aperture radar satellite on Aug. 31, 2020. (Credit: Rocket Lab webcast)
Rocket Lab’s Electron booster made a successful return to flight on Monday by launching a commercial synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite for Capella Space.
The rocket lifted off on time at 3:05 p.m. from the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. Electron’s kick stage deployed the 100 kg SAR satellite one hour after launch.
Rocket Lab’s 14th Electron launch comes less than two months after the failure of an Electron booster on July 4. Six satellites were lost as the booster’s second stage failed, sending it plunging into the atmosphere.
Rocket Lab blamed the loss on the failure of an electrical connection that resulted in a loss of power to the stage.
The Electron has successfully launched 12 times. The other failure came on the booster’s maiden flight.
The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket launches NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to touch the Sun, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Parker Solar Probe is humanity’s first-ever mission into a part of the Sun’s atmosphere called the corona. Here it will directly explore solar processes that are key to understanding and forecasting space weather events that can impact life on Earth. (Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Bored beyond tears due to the lockdown? Got nothing to do and nowhere to go? Only reruns on the tube?
Stay home, grab some beers, and fire up that computer. There’s a whole bunch of launches on the schedule over the next four days. ULA, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, Astra and Arianespace are all back in action with six launches from three countries.
SpaceX will attempt two launches on the same day from Florida on Sunday. The company might also attempt a hop of its sixth Starship prototype this weekend. The timing for that is uncertain.
Remember: launches are subject to change without notice. And wagering is strictly prohibited.
August 29
UPDATE: The booster performed an abort at T minus 3 seconds. United Launch Alliance says it will be at least seven days before they can attempt another launch.
Launch Vehicle: Delta IV Heavy Payload: NROL-44 Launch Time: 2:04 a.m. EDT (0612 GMT) Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Webcast: www.ulalaunch.com/
An United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch the classified NROL-44 satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
August 29/30
UPDATE: New Electron launch date is Aug. 30/31 with the same launch window.
Launch Vehicle: Electron Mission Name: “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical” Payload: Sequoia Launch Window: 11:05 p.m.-3:05 a.m. EDT on Aug. 29/30 (0305-0705 GMT on Aug. 29) Launch Site: Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand Webcast:www.rocketlabusa.com
Rocket Lab is back in action after the failure of its 13th launch on July 4. Electron will carry the Capella Space’s Sequoia synthetic aperture radar satellite on a dedicated mission.
August 30
UPDATE: Launch scrubbed due to weather. Next possible launch window is on Tuesday.
SpaceX will launch the SAOCOM 1B environmental satellite for Argentina’s space agency, CONAE. The mission includes the first polar orbit launch from Cape Canaveral since February 1969. The Falcon 9 first stage will attempt a relatively rare return to land instead of touching down on an offshore drone ship.
August 30/31
UPDATE: Astra has postponed the launch to Sept. 10 from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. EDT (7-9:30 p.m. PDT)
Launch Vehicle: Rocket 3.1 Payloads: None Launch Window: 10:00 p.m.-12:30 a.m. EDT on Aug. 30/31 (0200-0430 GMT on Aug. 31 Launch Site: Pacific Spaceport Complex — Alaska Webcast: none
Astra Space will attempt the first orbital flight of its inexpensive launch vehicle.
September 1/2
Launch Vehicle: Vega Mission Name: Small Spacecraft Mission Service Proof of Concept (SSMS POF) Payloads: 53 small satellites Launch Time: 9:51:10 p.m. EDT on Sept. 1 (0151:10 GMT on Sept. 2) Launch Site: Kourou, French Guiana Webcast:Arianespace YouTube channel
Arianespace will attempt the first rideshare mission of its Vega booster. The window for the long delayed launch extends until Sept. 4.
The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket launches NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to touch the Sun, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. (Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Are you ready for some launches?
Scattered shouts
I SAID, ARE YOU READY FOR SOME LAUNCHES?!
Crowd goes crazy
That’s better. As Doc Brown once said, starting Thursday you’re going see some serious s***.
August 27
Launch Vehicle: Delta 4 Heavy Payload: NROL-44 Launch Time: 2:12 a.m. EDT (0612 GMT) Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Webcast: www.ulalaunch.com/
An United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch the classified NROL-44 satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
SpaceX will launch the SAOCOM 1B environmental satellite for Argentina’s space agency, CONAE. The mission includes the first polar orbit launch from Cape Canaveral since February 1969. The Falcon 9 first stage will attempt a relatively rare return to land instead of touching down on an offshore drone ship.
August 28/29
Launch Vehicle: Electron Mission Name: “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical” Payload: Sequoia Launch Time: 11:05 p.m. EDT on Aug. 28/29 (0305 GMT on Aug. 29) Launch Site: Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand Webcast:www.rocketlabusa.com
Rocket Lab is back in action after the failure of its 13th launch on July 4. Electron will carry the Capella Space’s Sequoia synthetic aperture radar satellite on a dedicated mission.
Electron lifts off from the Mahia Peninsula on its 12th flight on June 13, 2020. (Credit; Rocket Lab webcast)
LONG BEACH, Calif., August 25, 2020 (Rocket Lab PR) – Rocket Lab has today announced that leading European space technology company OHB Group has signed a contract for a dedicated launch on an Electron rocket. The launch was procured through OHB Cosmos International Launch Service GmbH, the launch service division of the OHB Group.
