Rocket Lab says on a media call about the TROPICS launches that the first launch, which had been scheduled for Sunday night (US time), will likely slip a couple days because of weather at the New Zealand launch site.
A weather front is headed toward LC-1, so we’re pushing lift-off a few days to the right for the #RocketLikeAHurricane launch to deploy the @NASA TROPICS satellites. We’ll assess the weather as it evolves over the weekend and confirm the new target date soon. 🌧️🌬️🚀
https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/QuoteMission Name Rocket Like A HurricaneRocket ElectronElectron Name Rocket Like A HurricaneLaunch Window No earlier than May 3, 2023Launch Time 01:00-03:00 UTCLaunch Site Launch Complex 1
Mission Name Rocket Like A HurricaneRocket ElectronElectron Name Rocket Like A HurricaneLaunch Window No earlier than May 3, 2023Launch Time 01:00-03:00 UTCLaunch Site Launch Complex 1
High winds & stormy skies continue for most of this week at LC-1, so we’re waiting for that to clear before the first of 2 @NASA TROPICS launches lifts off. Stay tuned for updates on target launch date soon as the forecast settles in the coming days. #RocketLikeAHurricane 🛰️🌧️🚀
NGA notice.
NGA Space Debris notice to go along with the above posted Rocket Launching notice.
The weather is slowly starting to trend in the right direction for launch later this week/early next week at LC-1. Stay tuned for target date for the first of two @NASA TROPICS launches soon! #RocketLikeAHurricane
"Launch Complex 2" seems to be just a Rocket Lab in-house identifier. MARS has "Launch Pad 0A" (Antares) and "Launch Pad 0B" (Minotaur) and on its web site identifies the new Electron pad as "Launch Pad 0C". https://www.vaspace.org/our-facilitiesWallops Flight Facility already has/had a "Launch Area 1" and a "Launch Area 2" which were used for sounding rockets. "Launch Area 3" handled Scout back in the day. And so on. - Ed Kyle
Quote from: edkyle99 on 11/23/2022 08:27 pm"Launch Complex 2" seems to be just a Rocket Lab in-house identifier. MARS has "Launch Pad 0A" (Antares) and "Launch Pad 0B" (Minotaur) and on its web site identifies the new Electron pad as "Launch Pad 0C". https://www.vaspace.org/our-facilitiesWallops Flight Facility already has/had a "Launch Area 1" and a "Launch Area 2" which were used for sounding rockets. "Launch Area 3" handled Scout back in the day. And so on. - Ed Kyle Yeah, that's how it's been from the beginning of the construction of the pad.
Quote from: lightleviathan on 05/03/2023 11:02 pmQuote from: edkyle99 on 11/23/2022 08:27 pm"Launch Complex 2" seems to be just a Rocket Lab in-house identifier. MARS has "Launch Pad 0A" (Antares) and "Launch Pad 0B" (Minotaur) and on its web site identifies the new Electron pad as "Launch Pad 0C". https://www.vaspace.org/our-facilitiesWallops Flight Facility already has/had a "Launch Area 1" and a "Launch Area 2" which were used for sounding rockets. "Launch Area 3" handled Scout back in the day. And so on. - Ed Kyle Yeah, that's how it's been from the beginning of the construction of the pad.Here's where I've landed:The land is Launch Pad 0CAny facilities or equipment owned by Wallops Flight Facility or the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport are Launch Pad 0CAny facilities or equipment owned by Rocket Lab are Launch Complex 2So the strongback at least is Launch Complex 2. Everything else, I'm not sure who built it.
Latest weather forecasts are looking better, so we’re preparing for a launch attempt in the coming days for the first @NASATROPICS launch!Lift-off set for NET:UTC | May 8, 01:00NZT | May 8, 13:00EDT | May 7, 21:00PDT | May 7, 18:00More info: https://bit.ly/2XZCCWf
NASA, Rocket Lab Update Launch Coverage for Tropical Cyclones MissionAfter the previous launch target date changed due to weather conditions in New Zealand, NASA and Rocket Lab are now targeting 9 p.m. EDT Sunday, May 7, (1 p.m. Monday, May 8, New Zealand Standard Time), to launch two storm tracking CubeSats into orbit. The agency’s TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) mission has a two-hour launch window from Launch Complex 1 Pad B in Māhia, New Zealand.Rocket Lab will provide live coverage beginning approximately 20 minutes before launch. Coverage will air on NASA Television, the NASA app, the agency’s website, and Rocket Lab’s website.A second launch from Rocket Lab will carry two additional CubeSats, with exact launch times contingent on the date and time of the first launch. TROPICS is a constellation of four identical CubeSats designed to observe tropical cyclones from low Earth orbit, making observations more frequently than current weather tracking satellites. Gathering data more frequently can help scientists improve weather forecasting models.TROPICS will study tropical cyclones as part of NASA’s Earth Venture Class missions, which select targeted science missions to fill gaps in our overarching understanding of the entire Earth system.Full coverage of this mission is as follows (all times Eastern):Sunday, May 7Approximately 8:40 p.m. – Live launch coverage begins9 p.m. – Launch window opens
Launch readiness review is complete and we are GO for tomorrow's #RocketLikeAHurricane launch for the @NASA TROPICS constellation!Launch window opens:🚀NZST | 13:00🚀UTC | 01:00🚀EDT | 21:00🚀PDT | 18:00The live launch webcast will begin approx. 20 mins before lift-off.
Any information about weather ?
Ground, upper atmosphere, and space weather all pose potential challenges tomorrow, so we'll be monitoring closely during the count 🌬️🌌🪐
It’s launch day. #RocketLikeAHurricaneLaunch window opens: 🚀NZST | 13:00 🚀UTC | 01:00 🚀PDT | 18:00 🚀EDT | 21:00 go.nasa.gov/3LGoGuq
Electron is vertical on the pad at LC-1 as we approach T-4 hours until lift-off for #RocketLikeAHurricane, the first of two dedicated launches for @NASA to deploy the TROPICS constellation 🚀