Electron (flight 23) - 2 x Black Sky Gen2 - Mahia LC-1 - Dec 9, 2021 (00:02 UTC)

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211011005163/en/Rocket-Lab-Launch-Operations-Underway-For-Two-BlackSky-Missions-in-November

Rocket Lab Launch Operations Underway For Two BlackSky Missions in November
The launches, Rocket Lab’s 22nd and 23rd Electron missions, are part of a multi-launch deal that represents the largest number of satellites BlackSky has committed to a single launch provider.

October 11, 2021 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (“Rocket Lab” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: RKLB), a leading launch provider and space systems company, has today announced it has scheduled two dedicated launches in November for Spaceflight Inc.’s customer, real-time geospatial and global monitoring company BlackSky (NYSE: BKSY).

“The speed to space Electron provides our customers is unmatched in the dedicated small launch industry, and we’re thrilled to be delivering a launch service that provides assurance for BlackSky to scale their constellation and services with confidence”

A two-week launch window for Rocket Lab’s 22nd Electron launch will open November 11-24, 2021, while the 23rd Electron mission is targeted for lift-off during a two-week launch window that opens November 27. Both missions are scheduled to launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.

Each mission will deploy two Gen-2 satellites for BlackSky in a rapid expansion of the geospatial and global monitoring company’s low Earth orbit constellation. These two dedicated missions are part of a multi-launch agreement signed between Rocket Lab and Spaceflight Inc., for BlackSky earlier this year, and precede a third dedicated mission that will follow to deploy two additional BlackSky Gen-2 satellites. Together, these launches - along with a successfully deployed Gen-2 satellite on Rocket Lab’s “They Go Up So Fast” rideshare mission in March this year - represent the largest number of satellites BlackSky has committed to a single launch provider to date.

The back-to-back launch of these two dedicated missions supports BlackSky’s aggressive scaling of its high-resolution Earth-imaging constellation to bolster its delivery of analytics and insights to industries including transportation, infrastructure, land use, defense, supply chain management, and humanitarian aid.

“The speed to space Electron provides our customers is unmatched in the dedicated small launch industry, and we’re thrilled to be delivering a launch service that provides assurance for BlackSky to scale their constellation and services with confidence,” says Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck.

Follow Rocket Lab on Twitter @RocketLab for real-time mission updates closer to launch day.

[TrevorMonty]

“The speed to space Electron provides our customers is unmatched in the dedicated small launch industry"

Given RL launch delays this year Beck could've left that comment out.


Sent from my SM-G570Y using Tapatalk

[Ken the Bin]

Rocket Lab has updated their Next Mission webpage for this launch.

It is now December, rather than the November 27 target given previously.

Mission Name:    A Data With Destiny
Rocket:    Electron
Electron Name:    A Data With Destiny

Launch Window:    NET December 2021
Launch Time:    TBC
Launch Site:    Launch Complex 1

[Ken the Bin]

Even though Rocket Lab updated their Next Mission webpage to say "NET December 2021", and it still says that now, these NGA notices came out with a launch period starting on the original November 27 UTC.

220453Z NOV 21
HYDROPAC 3358/21(76).
WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   270310Z NOV TO 100155Z DEC IN AREA BOUND BY
   39-30S 178-27E, 39-18S 177-48E,
   39-15S 177-48E, 39-12S 177-51E,
   39-12S 178-00E, 39-18S 178-27E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 100255Z DEC 21.

220412Z NOV 21
HYDROPAC 3356/21(76,83).
SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   270310Z NOV TO 100155Z DEC IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 41-06S 176-18W, 39-54S 175-42W,
      40-36S 171-06W, 41-54S 171-18W.
   B. 42-36S 163-06W, 41-36S 163-12W,
      41-42S 158-00W, 42-36S 157-48W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 100255Z DEC 21.

[Ken the Bin]

The NGA has now canceled the notices in my post above.  I would not take that as a sign of anything dire, just that there is no point in having marine restrictions currently active.

292228Z NOV 21
HYDROPAC 3439/21(76).
WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
CANCEL HYDROPAC 3358/21 AND THIS MSG.

292258Z NOV 21
HYDROPAC 3440/21(76,83).
SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06.
CANCEL HYDROPAC 3356/21 AND THIS MSG.

[Ken the Bin]

Now targeting December 7 at 00:40 UTC.

https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1466135718032408579

It's starting to feel like launch week! Our next mission for @BlackSky_Inc and @SpaceflightInc is scheduled for lift-off NET 07 December UTC.

A Data With Destiny launch window opens:
🚀UTC | 00:40, Dec 7
🚀NZDT | 13:40, Dec 7
🚀ET | 19:40, Dec 6
🚀PT | 16:40, Dec 6

[Ken the Bin]

Launch period runs through December 20 per NGA notices.

020918Z DEC 21
HYDROPAC 3468/21(76).
WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   062240Z TO 200925Z DEC IN AREA BOUND BY
   39-30S 178-27E, 39-18S 177-48E,
   39-15S 177-48E, 39-12S 177-51E,
   39-12S 178-00E, 39-18S 178-27E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 201025Z DEC 21.

020926Z DEC 21
HYDROPAC 3469/21(76,83).
SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   062240Z TO 200925Z DEC
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 41-06S 176-18W, 39-54S 175-42W,
      40-36S 171-06W, 41-54S 171-18W.
   B. 42-36S 163-06W, 41-36S 163-12W,
      41-42S 158-00W, 42-36S 157-48W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 201025Z DEC 21.

[Liss]

Also a NOTAM:

B6191/21 NOTAMN
Q) NZXX/QRDCA/IV/BO /W /000/999/4242S16629W764
A) NZZO NZZC B) 2112070010 C) 2112070320
E) TEMPO DANGER AREA NZD093 (EAST MAHIA) IS PRESCRIBED AS FLW:
ALL THAT AIRSPACE BOUNDED BY A LINE JOINING:
38 27 00 S 179 43 48 W
39 54 00 S 150 12 00 W
46 36 00 S 149 42 00 W
43 06 00 S 176 48 00 W
40 15 00 S 178 15 00 E
39 30 00 S 177 36 00 E
39 06 00 S 177 36 00 E
39 06 00 S 177 54 00 E
39 00 00 S 178 06 00 E
38 27 00 S 179 43 48 W
ACTIVITY: ROCKET LAUNCH
USING AGENCY: ROCKET LAB LIMITED, RANGE CONTROL CENTRE,
TEL +64 28 255 11638.
PRESCRIBED PURSUANT TO CIVIL AVIATION RULE PART 71 UNDER A DELEGATED
AUTHORITY ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION
F) SFC G) FL999
CREATED: 03 Dec 2021 02:19:00
SOURCE: NZCHYNYX

[Ken the Bin]

Press Kit: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/assets/Uploads/Flight-23-Press-Kit-v1.pdf

The image below of launch windows is snipped from the press kit (also attached).

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1467704804239499267?s=21

[Liss]

Confirmed by NOTAM:

B6232/21 NOTAMN
Q) NZXX/QRDCA/IV/BO /W /000/999/4242S16629W764
A) NZZO NZZC B) 2112082315 C) 2112090225
E) TEMPO DANGER AREA NZD093 (EAST MAHIA) IS PRESCRIBED AS FLW:
ALL THAT AIRSPACE BOUNDED BY A LINE JOINING:
38 27 00 S 179 43 48 W
39 54 00 S 150 12 00 W
46 36 00 S 149 42 00 W
43 06 00 S 176 48 00 W
40 15 00 S 178 15 00 E
39 30 00 S 177 36 00 E
39 06 00 S 177 36 00 E
39 06 00 S 177 54 00 E
39 00 00 S 178 06 00 E
38 27 00 S 179 43 48 W
ACTIVITY: ROCKET LAUNCH
USING AGENCY: ROCKET LAB LIMITED, RANGE CONTROL CENTRE,
TEL +64 28 255 11638.
PRESCRIBED PURSUANT TO CIVIL AVIATION RULE PART 71 UNDER A DELEGATED
AUTHORITY ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION
F) SFC G) FL999
CREATED: 06 Dec 2021 01:55:00
SOURCE: NZCHYNYX

[Zed_Noir]

Rocket Lab has posted a launch time update on twitter.https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1468642447643140101?s=20

[Ken the Bin]

Webcast (video id PmCl2Hs8enc):

[zubenelgenubi]

First of two orbital launches today, December 9 UTC:
this launch,
IXPE.

[Steven Pietrobon]

Webcast has begun.

[Steven Pietrobon]

View inside the payload fairing.

[Steven Pietrobon]

Recovery footage from previous flight.

I have to go to attend another event, so I won't be available to provide further coverage. Hopefully someone can fill in!

[pb2000]

T-2mins

[pb2000]

T-60sec

[pb2000]

T-15sec