Rocket Lab
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Sir Peter Beck unplugged: “Transporter can do it for free for all we care” | Ars Technica
arstechnica.com Sir Peter Beck unplugged: “Transporter can do it for free for all we care”"Look, there's no accidental monopoly. They are a ruthless competitor."
Pretty cool interview with Sir Peter
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Rocket Lab "No Time Toulouse" Launch Thread!
No Time Toulouse
| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-06-20 18:13 | | --- | --- | | Scheduled for (NZST) | 2024-06-21 06:13 | | Launch site | Rocket Lab LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand | | Booster recovery | No | | Launch vehicle | Electron + Curie | | Customers | Kinéis | | Payloads | Kinéis 1-5 | | Mission success criteria | Successful deployment of spacecraft into Low Earth Orbit |
Livestreams
| Stream | Link | | --- | --- | | Rocket Lab (official) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYpQkHw9s1I | Everyday Astronaut | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjEdn_6evjs | The Launch Pad |
Stats
- This will be the 8th launch for Rocket Lab this year.
- This will be the 🎉 50th 🎉 overall launch for Rocket Lab.
Payload info:
>First batch of five satellites for the French Kinéis IoT constellation designed to operate with 25 nanosatellites of 30 kg each. The constellation will enable Kinéis, a company backed by private and public investors including the French government’s space agency CNES (Centre National d'Études Spatiales) and CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites) an international space-based solutions provider, to improve its global IoT connectivity.
Previous mission (PREFIRE And Ice) | Next mission ()
Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re a relatively new community, so feedback is very valuable!
- spacenews.com Synspective orders 10 Rocket Lab Electron launches
Japanese radar imaging company Synspective has signed a contract for 10 Electron launches from Rocket Lab, the largest contract in Rocket Lab's history.
- spacenews.com Rocket Lab wins government support to expand solar cell production
Rocket Lab has lined up nearly $50 million in federal and state funding to help expand a New Mexico solar cell factory.
- spacenews.com Electron launches second NASA PREFIRE cubesat
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched the second of a pair of NASA cubesats designed to monitor infrared emissions at the Earth’s poles.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/16232325
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Peter Beck receives knighthood
www.nzherald.co.nz King's Birthday Honours: Peter Beck, Theresa Gattung and Joan Withers receive top gongsTwo dames and a knight have been named from the business community.
>Former Telecom chief executive Theresa Gattung, high-profile company director Joan Withers and Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck have been given titular honours. > >The appointment of a trio of businesspeople among the four new knights and dames is in stark contrast to the prior year’s list when, of the seven people given titles, the only business leader was company director Jo Brosnahan.
Congratulations, Sir Peter Beck!
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Rocket Lab "PREFIRE And Ice" Launch Thread!
PREFIRE And Ice
Just a week after the first PREFIRE spacecraft were launched, it's time for part two!
| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-06-05 03:00 | | --- | --- | | Scheduled for (NZST) | 2024-06-05 15:00 | | Launch site | Rocket Lab LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand | | Booster recovery | No | | Launch vehicle | Electron + Curie | | Customers | NASA | | Payloads | PREFIRE | | Mission success criteria | Successful deployment of spacecraft into Sun-Synchronous Orbit |
Livestreams
| Stream | Link | | --- | --- | | Rocket Lab (official) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBBhzkNzcYQ (scrub) | Everyday Astronaut | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yyw7FyMzsgI (scrub) | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFygbJ4BiSs
Stats
- This will be the 7th launch for Rocket Lab this year.
- This will be the 49th overall launch for Rocket Lab.
Payload info:
>The PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission will send two CubeSats into space to study how much heat the planet absorbs and emits from its polar regions, including the Arctic and Antarctica. > >Analysis of PREFIRE measurements will inform climate and ice models, providing better projections of how a warming world will affect sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise. Improving climate models can ultimately help to provide more accurate projections on the impacts of storm severity and frequency, as well as coastal erosion and flooding.
Previous mission (Ready, Aim, PREFIRE) | Next mission (No Time Toulouse)
Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re a relatively new community, so feedback is very valuable!
- spacenews.com Electron launches first NASA PREFIRE Earth science cubesat
Rocket Lab launched the first of two NASA Earth science cubesats on an Electron rocket May 25, exactly seven years after the company’s first launch.
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Rocket Lab "Ready, Aim, PREFIRE" Launch Thread!
Ready, Aim, PREFIRE
Another month, another Rocket Lab launch!
| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-05-25 07:28 | | --- | --- | | Scheduled for (NZST) | 2024-05-25 19:28 | | Launch site | Rocket Lab LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand | | Booster recovery | No | | Launch vehicle | Electron + Curie | | Customers | NASA | | Payloads | PREFIRE | | Mission success criteria | Successful deployment of spacecraft into Sun-Synchronous Orbit |
Livestreams
| Stream | Link | | --- | --- | | Rocket Lab (official) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7nYAJ4dZP4 | Everyday Astronaut | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFwfQQLz7Q0 | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS-3rieuK6E
Stats
- This will be the 6th launch for Rocket Lab this year.
- This will be the 48th overall launch for Rocket Lab.
Payload info:
>The PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission will send two CubeSats into space to study how much heat the planet absorbs and emits from its polar regions, including the Arctic and Antarctica. > >Analysis of PREFIRE measurements will inform climate and ice models, providing better projections of how a warming world will affect sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise. Improving climate models can ultimately help to provide more accurate projections on the impacts of storm severity and frequency, as well as coastal erosion and flooding.
Previous mission (Beginning Of The Swarm) | Next mission (PREFIRE And Ice)
Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re a relatively new community, so feedback is very valuable!
- spacenews.com Rocket Lab pushes back Neutron debut to 2025
As Rocket Lab prepares to begin tests of the first Archimedes engine, it says that Neutron won’t be ready for its first flight before the middle of 2025.
Only slightly disappointing, and not too surprising. It's honestly pretty impressive how little the timeline has slipped so far. Neutron was announced in 2021 with a target launch date in 2024. If it takes only 33% longer, that will still be pretty quick for rocket development.
- spacenews.com Rocket Lab announces supplier agreements for military satellite project
Rocket Lab announces supplier agreements for military satellite project
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Rocket Lab Completes Archimedes Engine Build, Begins Engine Test Campaign | Business Wire
www.businesswire.com Rocket Lab Completes Archimedes Engine Build, Begins Engine Test CampaignRocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it has comp
- blogs.nasa.gov Solar Sail CubeSat Has Deployed from Rocket - Small Satellite Missions
NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System is confirmed to have deployed from Rocket Lab’s Electron kick stage. The satellite has reached low Earth orbit to
- www.nasaspaceflight.com New solar sail technology launches on Rocket Lab flight - NASASpaceFlight.com
A potential new way to travel through space launched aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from…
>A potential new way to travel through space launched aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 located on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. > >The mission, named “Beginning of the Swarm,” put two payloads into a Sun-synchronous orbit. The flight lifted off at 22:32 UTC on April 23, 2024. > >One of the two payloads aboard the mission is NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3). The goal is to test a new composite that can be folded up inside something as small as a CubeSat and still deploy and remain rigid once in space. > >For this test, the solar sail is designed to fit inside a 12-unit (12U) CubeSat, which measures approximately 23 by 23 by 34 centimeters (9 by 9 by 13 inches). This is comparable to the size of a microwave. > >A solar sail involves deploying a large metallic sheet that acts like the sail on a sailboat. Similar to a boat, it uses a boom to extend the sails. Rather than using chemical or electrical propulsion, these sails use sunlight and solar wind to help push a spacecraft or satellite. > >For this mission, flying the sail is objective number two. The first objective is to unfold the entire sail in approximately 25 minutes and see how well it holds up.
>Once unfurled, the square-shaped sail will measure approximately 9 meters (30 feet) per side.
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Rocket Lab "Beginning Of The Swarm" Launch Thread!
Beginning Of The Swarm
Well folks, it's time for the 5th Rocket Lab launch of the year!
| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-04-23 22:32 | | --- | --- | | Scheduled for (NZDT) | 2024-04-24 10:32 | | Launch site | Rocket Lab LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand | | Booster recovery | No | | Launch vehicle | Electron + Curie | | Customers | NASA, KAIST | | Payloads | ACS3, NeonSat-1 | | Mission success criteria | Successful deployment of spacecraft into Sun-Synchronous Orbit |
Livestreams
| Stream | Link | | --- | --- | | Rocket Lab (official) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9izutzETw1U | Everyday Astronaut | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RsjdotByms | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui5seaIDzMQ
Stats
- This will be the 5th launch for Rocket Lab this year.
- This will be the 47th overall launch for Rocket Lab.
Payload info:
>## ACS3 > >NASA’s ACS3 technology demonstration uses composite materials - or a combination of materials with different properties, in its novel, lightweight booms that deploy from a CubeSat to support a solar sail. Just as a sailboat is powered by wind in a sail, solar sails employ the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, eliminating the need for conventional rocket propellant. Data obtained from the ACS3 demonstration will guide the design of future larger-scale composite solar sail systems that could be used for space weather early warning satellites, near-Earth asteroid reconnaissance missions, or communications relays for crewed exploration missions.
>## NeonSat-1 > >NeonSat-1 is a high-resolution optical satellite that will be deployed as a technology demonstration for a planned future Earth observation constellation. KAIST is Korea’s leading science and technology institution, having developed and operated Korea’s very first satellite KAIST when it was successfully launched more than 30 years ago.
Previous mission (Live and Let Fly (NROL-123)) | Next mission (Ready, Aim, PREFIRE)
Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re a brand new community, so feedback is very valuable!
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An... interesting analogy from Peter Beck
Link to tweet.
>The way to compete against SpaceX, Beck said, “is to outsmart them and outwork them. You have to be the mosquito, that is for sure. And you have to be very agile. … The crazy thing about a mosquito is that it’s kind of annoying, but there’s a nonzero chance that you might get bit, get malaria and die,” he said.
- investors.rocketlabusa.com Rocket Lab Returns Previously Flown Electron to Production Line in Preparation for First Reflight
The carbon composite first stage tank from the Electron rocket, successfully launched and recovered in January this year, has entered back into the standard Electron production line to undergo final acceptance testing and qualification ahead of reflight. Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket ...
- spacenews.com Rocket Lab wins $14.4 million contract to launch Space Test Program experiment
Rocket Lab wins $14.4 million contract to launch Space Test Program experiment
- spacenews.com Electron launches NRO mission from Wallops
Rocket Lab launched a mission for the National Reconnaissance Office from Virginia March 21, the company’s second launch in as many weeks.
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Rocket Lab "Live and Let Fly" (NROL-123) Launch Thread!
Live and Let Fly (NROL-123)
Well folks, it's time for another Rocket Lab launch, and the first launch out of Wallops this year!
| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-03-21 06:40 | | --- | --- | | Scheduled for (local, EDT) | 2024-03-21 02:40 | | Scheduled for (NZDT) | 2024-03-21 19:40 | | Launch site | Rocket Lab LC-2, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA | | Booster recovery | No | | Launch vehicle | Electron + Curie | | Customer | USA National Reconnaissance Agency | | Payload | NROL-123 | | Mission success criteria | Successful deployment of spacecraft into Earth Orbit |
Livestreams
| Stream | Link | | --- | --- | | Rocket Lab (official) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coa3GZtotQo | Everyday Astronaut | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akOkDFQibLs | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2yUpimXf8k
Stats
- This will be the 4th launch for Rocket Lab this year.
- This will be the 46th overall launch for Rocket Lab.
Payload info:
>NROL-123 is a classified mission for the National Reconnaissance Agency.
Previous mission (Owl Night Long) | Next mission (NeonSat-1 & ACS3)
Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re a brand new community, so feedback is very valuable!
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Neutron launch pad update (2023-03-18)
https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1769840689737855447
>Neutron’s launch site is taking shape. > >While we’re gearing up for the next Electron launch from @NASAWallops in the coming days, here’s what the Neutron team have been up to on the new pad right next door. > >!
https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1769841445010329698
>Concrete is flowing fast on the launch mount, a dedicated new pad for Neutron designed to enable rapid turnaround between missions. > >! > >!
https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1769841701693358489
>Just a 5-minute drive from the pad, the Neutron Integration Facility is under construction. It’s from this facility that completed Neutron rockets will roll out to the pad before taking to the skies. > >!
- spacenews.com Rocket Lab launches Synspective radar imaging satellite
Rocket Lab launched a radar imaging satellite for Japanese company Synspective March 12, the latest in a series of launches for that company.
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Rocket Lab "Owl Night Long" Launch Thread!
Owl Night Long
Well folks, it's time for another Rocket Lab launch, and the first launch thread in this new community!
| Scheduled for UTC | 2024-03-12 15:03 | | --- | --- | | Scheduled for (local) | 2024-03-13 04:03 (NZDT) | | Launch site | LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand. | | Booster recovery | No | | Launch vehicle | Electron + Curie | | Customer | Synspective | | Payload | StriX-3 (100 kg) | | Mission success criteria | Successful deployment of spacecraft into Sun-Synchronous Orbit |
Livestreams
| Stream | Link | | --- | --- | | Rocket Lab (official) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF9cWWkSlsQ | Everyday Astronaut | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gclLUKCSbdM | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRz-JX97NP4
Stats
- This will be the 3rd launch for Rocket Lab this year.
- This will be the 45th overall launch for Rocket Lab.
Payload info:
>This is the third of a bulk buy of three Electron launches by Synspective to deliver their StriX satellites to low Earth orbit. StriX satellites can collect data with a ground resolution of 1-3m and a swath width of more than 10-30km. Each Electron launch will deliver 1 StriX satellite into orbit.
Previous mission (On Closer Inspection) | Next mission (Live and Let Fly (NROL-123))
Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re a brand new community, so feedback is very valuable!
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Rocket Lab Spacecraft Family
Rocket Lab is giving their various spacecraft platforms unique names, rather than calling them all "Photon".
- Photon: The basic kick-stage + power, propulsion, and communications.
- Explorer: Optimized for lunar and interplanetary missions.
- Pioneer: Capable of re-entry and payload return to Earth.
- Lightning: Optimized for long-term communications and sensing in LEO.
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Welcome to c/rocketlab!
This is a community to discuss all things Rocket Lab, the US/New Zealand aerospace company. Thanks to Dave for polling the community and setting things up!
Here are some Rocket Lab facts:
- The company was founded in 2006 in New Zealand. In 2013, they moved their registration to the U.S. for funding/growth reasons, and now operate launch pads and manufacturing facilities in both countries.
- Their workhorse launch vehicle is Electron, a two-stage kerolox rocket capable of delivering 300 kg to Low Earth Orbit.
- Electron is the first orbital rocket to use electric-pump-fed engines.
- They are developing a much larger launch vehicle called Neutron, which will be a methalox rocket capable of delivering 13 tonnes to LEO.
- The first launch of Neutron could happen by the end of this year.
Upcoming Electron launches:
- March 12th/13th: Owl Night Long, launching out of Launch Complex 1, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand
- March 20th: Live and Let Fly, launching out of Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
- NET April: NeonSat-1 & ACS3, launching out of Launch Complex 1, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand
I'll create dedicated launch threads with more info for each as we get closer.
Big thanks again to Dave for setting this up. Looking forward to growing this community! Suggestions and feedback are welcome!
Edit: Thanks also to absGeekNZ for volunteering to co-moderate this community.
