Electron : LC-1B : PROTOSAT-1 : 5 November 2024 (10:54 UTC)

[TrevorMonty]

Could be Dawn testing their suborbital spaceplane.

[Ken the Bin]

Could be Dawn testing their suborbital spaceplane.

In a short search, the only launch location that I saw mentioned was Glentanner Aerodrome, which is on the South Island, but not down at the south end. But maybe they have another location down there.

Unless someone has some additional information, I guess we'll have to wait and see what shakes out.

[TrevorMonty]

Long term plan for Dawn is to launch from Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre (next to lake Ellesmere). This is also where RL wanted to launch from but Tawhaki didn't exist then and the bureaucracy of creating one from scratch was to much.

[Ken the Bin]

Long term plan for Dawn is to launch from Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre (next to lake Ellesmere). This is also where RL wanted to launch from but Tawhaki didn't exist then and the bureaucracy of creating one from scratch was to much.

That's by Christchurch.

The land end of the hazard zone is at Porpoise Bay and Waikawa Harbour. It extends roughly SSE from there.

[TrevorMonty]

I doubt anybody will be launching out of Waikawa Harbour. Must be wrong coordinates.

[Ken the Bin]

It's still unknown what that other NGA Rocket Launching notice for New Zealand is for, but here are the new NGA Rocket Launching and Space Debris notices for this Rocket Lab launch.

Note that the primary day is November 5, not November 4.

300140Z OCT 24
HYDROPAC 3392/24(76).
WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING 
   0830Z TO 1315Z DAILY 05 THRU 10 NOV
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 39-15.03S 178-03.35E, 39-30.97S 177-55.29E,
      39-53.36S 177-43.98E, 39-53.49S 177-39.63E,
      39-32.10S 177-40.59E, 39-10.70S 177-41.55E,
      39-05.73S 177-44.59E.
   B. 43-18.00S 175-54.00E, 43-33.00S 177-21.60E,
      48-24.00S 175-42.00E, 48-00.00S 173-54.00E.
2. CANCEL HYDROPAC 3252/24.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 101415Z NOV 24.

300137Z OCT 24
HYDROPAC 3391/24(76).
WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   0830Z TO 1315Z DAILY 05 THRU 10 NOV
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   53-00.00S 171-30.00E, 53-24.00S 174-00.00E,
   57-42.00S 172-34.80E, 57-18.00S 169-24.00E.
2. CANCEL HYDROPAC 3251/24.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 101415Z NOV 24.

[Ken the Bin]

Note that the primary day is November 5, not November 4.

Rocket Lab confirms November 5.

https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1852942407719075898

Launch window opens:
NZDT | 11:30 pm
UTC | 10:30
ET |  6:30 am
PT | 3:30 am

Mission info: https://rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/

From the Next Mission webpage:

Mission Name: Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes
Rocket: Electron
Launch Date: NET November 5th
Launch Site: Launch Complex 1
Launch Time: NET 11:30 pm NZDT
Payload: 1x Commercial Satellite

Note that the ET and PT times in the X post are incorrect. They are based on Daylight Saving Time, which is ending.

The correct times are 05:30 EST and 02:30 PST.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1853565216912716072

Welcome to launch day for our 54th mission!

Our Electron rocket is on the pad at LC-1, Pad B, and ready for launch for the ‘Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes’ mission.

Lift-off is targeted for:
🚀NZDT | 11:42 pm
🚀UTC | 10:42
🚀PST | 02:42 am
🚀EST | 05:42 am

📍Launch Site | Launch Complex 1
📺Webcast: rocketlabusa.com/live-stream

[Ken the Bin]

Rocket Lab webcast (video id Pku19e-MHis):

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1853679795865006546

Weather report for today’s mission for our 54th Electron launch.

Lift-off set for:
🚀 NZDT | 11:42 pm
🚀 EST | 05:42 am
🚀 PST | 02:42 am
🚀 UTC | 10:42

80% GO

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Video:

https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1853704103291150839

POV: Electron raised vertical on the today’s mission from Launch Complex 1.

Lift-off set for:
🚀 NZDT | 11:42 pm
🚀 EST | 05:42 am
🚀 PST | 02:42 am
🚀 UTC | 10:42

Mission info: rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-…

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1853723834605801945

Launch update: A slight adjustment to the target lift-off time for tonight's Electron mission.

T-0 set for:
🚀NZDT | 11:54PM
🚀UTC | 10:54
🚀PST | 02:54 AM
🚀EST | 05:54 AM

Webcast will begin at T-20 minutes. rocketlabusa.com/live-stream

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1853745438316433553

Liquid oxygen is filling Electron’s first and second stages as the countdown to launch continues ❄️

We're at T-30 minutes 🚀

Webcast will begin at ~T-20 minutes. rocketlabusa.com/live-stream

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Webcast is live

[FutureSpaceTourist]

GO for flight

[FutureSpaceTourist]

T-2 launch auto-sequence

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Liftoff!

[FutureSpaceTourist]

MaxQ

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1853753210252701820

[FutureSpaceTourist]

MECO, staging & 2nd stage ignition