Launch updateđ: Thunderstorms are rolling in over Launch Complex 1, but forecasts show a brief reprieve late in the week. As such, we're currently targeting no earlier than Thursday 17 Oct UTC for the launch of our 9th Electron mission, 'As The Crow Flies'.
Long March 2F rocket in flight carrying Shenzhou-11. (Credit: CCTV)
by Douglas Messier Managing Editor
The year 2018 was the busiest one for launches in decades. There were a total of 111 completely successful launches out of 114 attempts. It was the highest total since 1990, when 124 launches were conducted.
China set a new record for launches in 2018. The nation launched 39 times with 38 successes in a year that saw a private Chinese company fail in the country’s first ever orbital launch attempt.
Electron lifts off with U.S. Air Force satellites. (Credit: Rocket Lab)
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (Rocket Lab PR) — Rocket Lab’s eighth mission will lift-off in August from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, carrying a total of four satellites aboard an Electron launch vehicle.
The mission is manifested with satellites destined to begin a new constellation for UNSEENLABS, as well as more rideshare payloads for Spaceflight, consisting of a spacecraft for BlackSky and the United States Air Force Space Command.
The first launch opportunity is no earlier than Friday, Aug. 16 at 12:57 UTC (8:57 EDT). The launch window is open until Aug. 30.
Electron lifts off with U.S. Air Force satellites. (Credit: Rocket Lab)
Seattle – August 5, 2019 — Spaceflight, the leading satellite rideshare and mission management provider, today announced it has managed the procurement, integration, and mission management services for three spacecraft on Rocket Labâs next mission aboard an Electron rocket.
Rocket Lab’s launch site on New Zealand Mahia Peninsula as seen from the Electron booster. (Credit: Rocket Lab)
by Douglas Messier Managing Editor
Rocket Lab’s Electron booster successfully launched the “Make it Rain” rideshare mission for Seattle-based Spaceflight from New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula on Saturday.
The mission lofted seven satellites, including: BlackSkyâs Global-3 imaging microsat; two U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Prometheus reconnaissance CubeSats; two Swarm SpaceBEE satellites; Melbourne Space Programâs ACRUX-1 CubeSat; and one spacecraft from an undisclosed customer. The payloads weighed 80 kg (176.4 lb).
The BlackSky Global-3 imaging satellite was developed, designed and manufactured by BlackSky of the United States. The company is a provider of geospatial intelligence, satellite imaging and global monitoring services.
It was the sixth successful Electron launch in a row out of seven attempts and the third flight of 2019. Rocket Lab has now orbited 35 satellites on its six successful missions.
The mission’s name was drawn from the high volume of rainfall in Seattle where Spaceflight is headquartered and at the Mahia Peninsula where Electron from which Electron is launched.
Electron lifts off with U.S. Air Force satellites. (Credit: Rocket Lab)
SEATTLE (Spaceflight PR) — Spaceflight, the leading satellite rideshare and mission management provider, today announced it will launch seven spacecraft from five organizations later this month on Rocket Labâs Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 at the southern tip of Mahia Peninsula, on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. This mission, also called âMake It Rainâ by Rocket Lab as a nod to the weather in both Seattle and New Zealand, represents Spaceflightâs first of five launches scheduled with Rocket Lab this year.
R3D2 satellite being prepared for launch. (Credit: Northrop Grumman)
Rapid prototyping capabilities led DARPAâs R3D2 program to success
REDONDO BEACH, Calif., May 7, 2019 (Northrop Grumman PR) â Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) successfully demonstrated rapid spacecraft development for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), with the Radio Frequency Risk Reduction Deployment Demonstration (R3D2), which launched on March 28, 2019.
Northrop Grumman led a unique team of commercial suppliers to deliver a 150 kg small satellite from concept to orbit in 20 months. Traditional satellites of comparable complexity typically take many years to get to this stage.
Ellectron launches NASA’s Venture Class CubeSats. (Credit: Rocket Lab)
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., April 3, 2019 (Rocket Lab PR) — U.S. small satellite launch company Rocket Lab announced today that it will launch three experimental research and development (R&D) satellites for the U.S. Air Force in April. The mission will lift-off from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, carrying three R&D spacecraft to Low Earth Orbit aboard an Electron launch vehicle. The launch will be Rocket Labâs second orbital mission of 2019, and fifth orbital mission overall. (more…)
Electron lifts off with DARPA’s R3D2 satellite. (Credits: Kieran Fanning, Sam Tom)
The launch marks Rocket Labâs 25th satellite deployed to orbit, continuing the companyâs mission success heritage
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., March 28, 2019 (Rocket Lab PR) â A Rocket Lab Electron launch vehicle successfully lifted off from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealandâs Mahia Peninsula at 23:27, March 28th UTC (12:27, 29 March NZDT). The mission launched a prototype reflect array antenna to orbit for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
The launch window for the DARPA R3D2 mission is four hours long each day. Here's your handy dandy timezone guide! NZDT: 11:30 – 15:30 UTC: 22:30 – 02:30 PDT: 15:30 – 19:30 EDT: 18:30 – 22:30
MMA Design successfully completes deployment testing of its innovative high-compaction ratio reflectarray antenna in its Louisville, Colorado facilities. (Credit: DARPA)
Editor’s Note: The 13-day window for the launch of DARPA’s R3D2 satellite aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron booster from New Zealand opens no earlier than March 16.
ARLINGTON, Va. (DARPA PR) — DARPAâs Radio Frequency Risk Reduction Deployment Demonstration (R3D2) is set for launch in mid-March to space-qualify a new type of membrane reflectarray antenna. The antenna, made of a tissue-thin Kapton membrane, packs tightly for stowage during launch and then will deploy to its full size of 2.25 meters in diameter once it reaches low Earth orbit.
Ellectron launches NASA’s Venture Class CubeSats. (Credit: Rocket Lab)
HUNTINGTON Beach Calif. (Rocket Lab PR) â US small satellite launch company Rocket Lab has launched its third orbital mission of 2018, successfully deploying satellites to orbit for NASA. The mission, designated Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa)-19 , took place just over a month after Rocket Labâs last successful orbital launch, âItâs Business Time.â Rocket Lab has launched a total of 24 satellites to orbit in 2018.
Electron It’s Business Time lift-off (Credits: Kieran Fanning & Sam Toms)
WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — RNASA will enable the launch of 10 small research satellites, or CubeSats, selected through the CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) for launch on Rocket Labâs first mission for NASA. The CubeSats were built by three NASA centers, seven universities, and a middle school as part of the Educational Launch of Nanosatellite XIX (ELaNa-19) mission.
WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — More than 250 students have been involved in the design, development and construction of the CubeSats scheduled to be flown as payloads on Rocket Labâs Electron rocket. This mission will be the first launch under NASAâs Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) contracts, which aims to provide a dedicated launch capability for smaller payloads such as CubeSats on smaller rockets.
Rocket Lab is now targeting the ELaNa-19 launch Dec. 15 with a launch window opening at 11 p.m. EST from the companyâs launch complex on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. (more…)
