As we count down to launch tomorrow, we're lining up the next Electron behind it. We're excited for our biggest launch year yet.
Introducing our next mission, featuring:✅Commercial satellites across 4 constellations✅Govt R&D satellites✅A Photon risk reduction demo to prepare for our upcoming Moon mission#TheyGoUpSoFastLaunching in March. Learn more: bit.ly/2N8APO0
Rocket Lab’s Next Mission to Launch 100th Satellite and Deploy Next-Generation Photon Spacecraft in Preparation for Moon MissionThe mission will deploy a range of satellites for commercial and government customers, as well as place a next-generation Photon spacecraft in orbit to build heritage for Rocket Lab’s upcoming mission to the Moon for NASARocket Lab, a leading launch provider and space systems company, has today announced its next mission will deploy a range of satellites for commercial and government satellite operators, and place a next-generation Photon spacecraft in orbit to build spacecraft heritage ahead of Rocket Lab’s mission to the Moon for NASA in Q3 this year.Scheduled to lift-off from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula in mid-March, the ‘They Go Up So Fast’ mission will be Rocket Lab’s 19th Electron launch overall and second mission of 2021. The launch will bring the total number of satellites launched by Electron to 104.Seven satellites feature on the mission manifest, including:An Earth-observation satellite for BlackSky via launch services provider Spaceflight Inc.;Two Internet-Of-Things (IoT) nanosatellites for companies Fleet Space and Myriota, procured by Tyvak;A technology demonstration satellite for the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra Space;a weather satellite pathfinder technology demonstration from Care Weather technologies;A technology demonstrator for the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) through launch integration and program management services provider, TriSept;and Rocket Lab’s in-house designed and built Photon Pathstone spacecraft which will operate on orbit as a risk reduction demonstration to build spacecraft heritage ahead of Rocket Lab’s mission to the Moon for NASA later this year.The six customer payloads will be integrated onto Photon, which will initially act as a Kick Stage space tug to circularize and deploy the satellites to precise orbits. After deploying the first five satellites to a 550 km circular orbit, Photon’s Curie engine will reignite to lower its attitude and deploy the final satellite to a 450 km orbit. The Curie engine’s unique ability to perform multiple relights on orbit enables Rocket Lab to deploy satellites to different orbits on the same launch. This level of payload deployment flexibility is typically reserved for dedicated missions but is a standard capability on all Electron missions.Following payload deployment, Photon Pathstone will remain in orbit to build flight heritage across the spacecraft’s subsystems ahead of the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon for NASA in Q3 this year, as well as Rocket Lab’s private mission to Venus in 2023. Photon Pathstone will demonstrate power management, thermal control, and attitude control subsystems, as well as newly-integrated technologies including deep-space radio capability, an upgraded RCS (reaction control system) for precision pointing in space, and sun sensors and star trackers. Pathstone is the second Photon spacecraft to be deployed to orbit, following the launch of Photon First Light in August 2020.Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO, says deploying customer satellites and then continuing with an independent Photon mission is a unique capability that enables multiple missions on the same launch.“We’re delighted to be delivering tailored access to orbit for our customers once again, many of whom have previously launched on Electron. With Photon, and likewise with the Kick Stage, we’re able to give our customers an unmatched level of control over their orbital insertion, even when flying as a rideshare,” he said. “What’s truly unique to Electron is the ability to deploy a range of customer satellites, then continue with a separate Photon mission. It means making multiple, distinct missions capable within the same launch, reducing the time, cost, and complexity of innovating on orbit. It’s nothing short of a complete transformation in the way we go to space.”MISSION MANIFESTPayload: PhotonOrganization: Rocket LabThe Photon onboard this mission is the latest configuration of Rocket Lab’s in-house satellite platform built for operations in low Earth orbit, deep space, and on interplanetary missions. This mission follows the successful launch and deployment of Rocket Lab’s first Photon satellite fewer than six months ago on the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical mission in August 2020.Payload: BlackSky Global SeriesOrganization: BlackSky, procured by Spaceflight Inc.BlackSky will include a single Earth observation microsatellite. This is the seventh launch of a Gen-2 spacecraft to date. Spaceflight arranged the launch and is providing mission management and integration services for BlackSky.Payload: Centauri 3Organization: Fleet Space, procured by Tyvak Centauri 3 is a newly-designed 6U NanoSat that will join Fleet Space’s planned constellation of 140 Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) satellites in low Earth orbit. Designed for use in the energy, utilities, and resource industries, the Centauri 3 will also test new hardware and space systems developed by Fleet Space that will support the 2023 Seven Sisters mission, a resource exploration mission by an Australian team of space, remote operations, and resource exploration companies that will launch nanosatellites and sensors to develop new resource exploration techniques for Earth, the Moon, and Mars, in support of NASA’s Artemis Program.Payload: Myriota 7Organization: Myriota, procured by TyvakMyriota is the global leader in low-cost, secure satellite connectivity for the Internet of Things. Myriota 7 is the latest addition to its satellite constellation, and forms part of a crucial next step for the business, as it moves towards near-real time connectivity. It will support Myriota’s customers by further improving its existing service, which provides access to data from anywhere on Earth. Myriota's long battery life and direct-to-orbit connectivity supports products from technology partners servicing a wide range of industries including utilities, transport and logistics, supply chain, agriculture, mining and defence.Payload: Veery HatchlingOrganization: Care Weather TechnologiesThe Veery Hatchling mission will test Care Weather's vertically-integrated satellite power, computing, and avionics systems in a 1U CubeSat. It paves the way for Care Weather's future constellation of scatterometric radar weather satellites capable of producing hourly maps of global wind speed and direction over the surface of the ocean. Veery Hatchling is the first step in Care Weather's mission to save lives and livelihoods by better forecasting Earth's extreme weather.Payload: M2Organization: The University of New South Wales’s Canberra SpaceThis spacecraft from the University of New South Wales Canberra Space, in collaboration with the Royal Australian Air Force, will bring together emerging technologies that deliver advanced capabilities in earth observation, maritime surveillance, quantum computing, advanced AI, and laser communications. M2 follows on from the successful M2 Pathfinder mission deployed in June 2020 on Rocket Lab’s 12th mission, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’.Payload: Gunsmoke-JOrganization: U.S. Army’s SMDC, procured by TriSeptTriSept procured the rideshare slot on Electron for the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC). Gunsmoke-J is an experimental 3U CubeSat that will test technologies that support development of new capabilities for the U.S Army. “TriSept is thrilled to be providing the rideshare slot, dispenser hardware, regulatory compliance in both the U.S. and New Zealand, and spacecraft integration for this important technology demonstration in space. We look forward to the integration of this small but game-changing payload aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron,” said TriSept CEO, Rob Spicer.
An educated guess on the payload names:- ? (UNSW)
An educated guess on the payload names:- Myriota 1 (3U)
An educated guess on the payload names:
Name Status Launch OrbitRAAF M2 A not launched 2021-03-31 not launchedRAAF M2 B not launched 2021-03-31 not launched
Looks like M2 are two satellites:
Quote from: PM3 on 02/09/2021 08:11 pmLooks like M2 are two satellites:Yes, but the wording in the press release indicates only one satellite is being launched:"A technology demonstration satellite for the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra Space;""This spacecraft from the University of New South Wales Canberra Space,..."
M2 is launched as one payload, but splits into two after deployment (similar to Dragracer launched in November). Rocket Lab treats this as a single payload.
Multiple satellites, different orbits, same mission? That’s exactly what’s happening on our next launch. After deploying 5 satellites to a 550 km orbit, Photon’s Curie engine will reignite to lower its altitude and deploy the final customer satellite to a 450 km orbit
But the mission's not over then! After customer payloads are deployed, Photon Pathstone will remain in orbit to build flight heritage across the spacecraft’s subsystems ahead of our CAPSTONE mission to the Moon for @NASA later this year.
What's the reason behind not doing oposite thing? I mean low orbit girst, than light the photon to higher?
By lowering Photon's orbit in line with the final satellite deployment, we shorten Photon's orbital lifespan to avoid contributing to longer term orbital debris.
SEOPS-3 / NG-15 TO LAUNCH THIS WEEKEND[February 20 launch]QuoteBy Hilary MeyersonFEBRUARY 16, 2021<snip>On board the Cygnus will be three spacecraft belonging to Spaceflight customers, including Gunsmoke-J and two undisclosed U.S. government payloads. The Gunsmoke-J is a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration executed by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, sponsored by both the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Research and Engineering) and the U.S. Army. This science and technology effort will demonstrate an entry-level capability in a 3U form factor relevant to Army warfighter needs and will also help inform future acquisition decisions....
By Hilary MeyersonFEBRUARY 16, 2021<snip>On board the Cygnus will be three spacecraft belonging to Spaceflight customers, including Gunsmoke-J and two undisclosed U.S. government payloads. The Gunsmoke-J is a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration executed by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, sponsored by both the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Research and Engineering) and the U.S. Army. This science and technology effort will demonstrate an entry-level capability in a 3U form factor relevant to Army warfighter needs and will also help inform future acquisition decisions....
Cross-post; payload change?; my bold:Quote from: gongora on 02/16/2021 04:07 pmSEOPS-3 / NG-15 TO LAUNCH THIS WEEKEND[February 20 launch]QuoteBy Hilary MeyersonFEBRUARY 16, 2021<snip>On board the Cygnus will be three spacecraft belonging to Spaceflight customers, including Gunsmoke-J and two undisclosed U.S. government payloads. The Gunsmoke-J is a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration executed by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, sponsored by both the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Research and Engineering) and the U.S. Army. This science and technology effort will demonstrate an entry-level capability in a 3U form factor relevant to Army warfighter needs and will also help inform future acquisition decisions....
121045Z MAR 21HYDROPAC 802/21(76).WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC. NEW ZEALAND. DNC 06. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING 1700Z TO 0210Z COMMENCING DAILY 17 THRU 31 MAR IN AREA BOUND BY 39-12S 178-00E, 39-18S 178-27E, 39-30S 178-27E, 39-18S 177-48E, 39-15S 177-48E, 39-12S 177-51E. 2. CANCEL THIS MSG 010310Z APR 21.
130716Z MAR 21HYDROPAC 815/21(76,83).SOUTH PACIFIC.CHATHAM ISLANDS.DNC 06.1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 1700Z TO 0210Z DAILY 17 THRU 31 MAR IN AREAS BOUND BY: A. 41-06S 175-12W, 41-57S 171-24W, 42-51S 171-45W, 41-48S 175-42W. B. 44-18S 159-15W, 44-36S 153-57W, 45-09S 154-00W, 44-48S 159-24W.2. CANCEL THIS MSG 010310Z APR 21.
Integration of the briefcase is complete ahead of our next mission! Attaching this box to a Kick Stage instantly turns it into a Photon satellite.
This Electron will deploy our 100th customer satellite to orbit later this month. It's a privilege to open access to space for small satellites. #TheyGoUpSoFast
B1512/21 NOTAMNQ) NZZC/QRDCA/IV/BO /W /000/999/3900S17800E060A) NZZC B) 2103222220 C) 2103222330E) TEMPO DANGER AREA NZD494 (EAST MAHIA) IS PRESCRIBED AS FLW:ALL THAT AIRSPACE BOUNDED BY A LINE JOINING:38 33 23.00 S 179 51 10.00 W40 39 11.01 S 177 46 50.92 E39 20 17.30 S 177 36 32.80 E39 06 00.00 S 177 36 32.80 E39 06 00.00 S 177 54 00.00 E38 59 00.00 S 178 14 00.00 EACTIVITY: ROCKET LAUNCHUSING AGENCY: ROCKET LAB LIMITED, RANGE CONTROL CENTRE, TEL +64 28 255 11638PRESCRIBED PURSUANT TO CIVIL AVIATION RULE PART 71 UNDER A DELEGATED AUTHORITY ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION.F) SFC G) FL999B1513/21 NOTAMNQ) NZZO/QRDCA/IV/BO /W /000/999/4200S16200W900A) NZZO B) 2103222220 C) 2103222330E) TEMPO DANGER AREA NZD092 (EAST AUCKLAND OCEANIC) IS PRESCRIBED AS FLW:ALL THAT AIRSPACE BOUNDED BY A LINE JOINING:43 18 00.00 S 147 36 00.00 W46 42 00.00 S 147 48 00.00 W43 24 00.00 S 177 48 00.00 W43 18 00.00 S 178 48 00.00 W40 48 00.00 S 177 48 00.00 E40 39 11.01 S 177 46 50.92 E38 33 23.00 S 179 51 10.00 W38 30 00.00 S 179 36 00.00 W38 54 00.00 S 176 18 00.00 WACTIVITY: ROCKET LAUNCHUSING AGENCY: ROCKET LAB LIMITED, RANGE CONTROL CENTRE, TEL +64 28 255 11638PRESCRIBED PURSUANT TO CIVIL AVIATION RULE PART 71 UNDER A DELEGATED AUTHORITY ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION.F) SFC G) FL999
Quote from: otter on 03/18/2021 06:22 amB1512/21 NOTAMNQ) NZZC/QRDCA/IV/BO /W /000/999/3900S17800E060A) NZZC B) 2103222220 C) 2103222330E) TEMPO DANGER AREA NZD494 (EAST MAHIA) IS PRESCRIBED AS FLW:ALL THAT AIRSPACE BOUNDED BY A LINE JOINING:38 33 23.00 S 179 51 10.00 W40 39 11.01 S 177 46 50.92 E39 20 17.30 S 177 36 32.80 E39 06 00.00 S 177 36 32.80 E39 06 00.00 S 177 54 00.00 E38 59 00.00 S 178 14 00.00 EACTIVITY: ROCKET LAUNCHUSING AGENCY: ROCKET LAB LIMITED, RANGE CONTROL CENTRE, TEL +64 28 255 11638PRESCRIBED PURSUANT TO CIVIL AVIATION RULE PART 71 UNDER A DELEGATED AUTHORITY ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION.F) SFC G) FL999B1513/21 NOTAMNQ) NZZO/QRDCA/IV/BO /W /000/999/4200S16200W900A) NZZO B) 2103222220 C) 2103222330E) TEMPO DANGER AREA NZD092 (EAST AUCKLAND OCEANIC) IS PRESCRIBED AS FLW:ALL THAT AIRSPACE BOUNDED BY A LINE JOINING:43 18 00.00 S 147 36 00.00 W46 42 00.00 S 147 48 00.00 W43 24 00.00 S 177 48 00.00 W43 18 00.00 S 178 48 00.00 W40 48 00.00 S 177 48 00.00 E40 39 11.01 S 177 46 50.92 E38 33 23.00 S 179 51 10.00 W38 30 00.00 S 179 36 00.00 W38 54 00.00 S 176 18 00.00 WACTIVITY: ROCKET LAUNCHUSING AGENCY: ROCKET LAB LIMITED, RANGE CONTROL CENTRE, TEL +64 28 255 11638PRESCRIBED PURSUANT TO CIVIL AVIATION RULE PART 71 UNDER A DELEGATED AUTHORITY ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION.F) SFC G) FL999Is NZDT 22:20 22Mar?Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk