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Electron F40: Capella Acadia/We love the night life LC-1B 23 Aug 23 (23:45 UTC)
by
zubenelgenubi
on 03 Jul, 2023 03:46
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Flight 40, LC-1A:
https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1674233574558670850
The countdown to our next Electron launch from LC-1 is on - mark your calendars for July 14 UTC! 🗓️
In the meantime, we're working a parallel launch campaign for the mission *after* this, with launch rehearsals now underway for our 🎉40th🎉 Electron mission.
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#1
by
trimeta
on 04 Jul, 2023 01:49
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#2
by
Vahe231991
on 18 Jul, 2023 03:27
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Now that the Electron rocket with serial number F39 has reached orbit, could the Electron serialed F40 be the Electron rocket scheduled to loft four NorthStar Earth & Space satellites into orbit in September?
EDIT: The Electron rocket with serial number F40 will launch the Acadia 1 satellite.
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#3
by
lightleviathan
on 18 Jul, 2023 03:36
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At the very end of the webcast, one of the hosts said that the next launch would be in about 10 days, so possibly? But I don't have access to Rocket Lab's launch manifest so I we can't say for sure.
Next launch in about 10 days. End of Webcast.
Edit/add quote: zubenelgenubi
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#4
by
catdlr
on 18 Jul, 2023 03:45
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At the very end of the webcast, one of the hosts said that the next launch would be in about 10 days, so possibly? But I don't have access to Rocket Lab's launch manifest so I we can't say for sure.
Might be the Acadia Mission 1
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7108
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#5
by
the_big_boot
on 18 Jul, 2023 04:17
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At the very end of the webcast, one of the hosts said that the next launch would be in about 10 days, so possibly? But I don't have access to Rocket Lab's launch manifest so I we can't say for sure.
probably not then, the north star launch was set to be net September
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#6
by
Vahe231991
on 18 Jul, 2023 22:09
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#7
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 20 Jul, 2023 20:34
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https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1682126380488888321 It’s time for the big four-oh! Our 40th Electron mission is scheduled for…July 28 UTC! 🚀
#WeLoveTheNightLife is a dedicated mission for @CapellaSpace from LC-1 to launch the first of their next-generation Acadia SAR satellites.
More: bwnews.pr/3pNMHc8
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#8
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 20 Jul, 2023 20:36
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https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230720284396/en/Rocket-Lab-Announces-Launch-Window-for-Next-Mission-in-Multi-Launch-Contract-for-Capella-SpaceRocket Lab Announces Launch Window for Next Mission in Multi-Launch Contract for Capella Space
The “We Love the Nightlife” mission, Rocket Lab’s 40th Electron launch, will deliver the first of Capella Space’s next generation ‘Acadia’ Earth observation satellites to low Earth orbit.
July 20, 2023 04:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time
LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a leading launch and space systems company, today announced it has scheduled its next Electron launch during a window that opens 28 July 2023 NZST/UTC.
“Acadia is a reflection of our commitment to technology innovation and will preserve our track record of delivering high-quality and low latency SAR imagery to customers anywhere in the world.”
The ‘We Love the Nightlife’ mission is scheduled to launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula for American space tech company Capella Space (Capella), a leading provider of commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery.
‘We Love the Nightlife’ will be Rocket Lab’s third launch for Capella following the successful “Stronger Together” mission launched in March 2023 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 in Virginia, USA, and the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical” mission in August 2020 from Launch Complex 1, which deployed the first satellite in Capella’s SAR constellation.
‘We Love the Nightlife’ will be the first of four new dedicated launches on Electron for Capella, announced in February 2023, to deploy Capella’s next-generation SAR Earth-imaging satellites called Acadia.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck, said:
“Electron was the trusted launch vehicle for Capella’s first publicly available satellite when we launched their mission in 2020, so it's an honor once again to be entrusted with launching the first of their next generation Acadia satellites. Reaching 40 Electron launches is a wonderful milestone for our team members who have built the most reliable small launch vehicle in history and we’re delighted to share such a significant launch with our long-standing mission partner Capella.”
“We are proud to partner with Rocket Lab to introduce Capella’s third-generation Acadia satellite technology to the world,” said Payam Banazadeh, founder and CEO of Capella Space. “Acadia is a reflection of our commitment to technology innovation and will preserve our track record of delivering high-quality and low latency SAR imagery to customers anywhere in the world.”
Capella’s satellites deliver high quality, high resolution SAR imagery capable of penetrating all weather conditions and capturing clear imagery 24-7, day and night, anywhere on Earth, delivered through Capella’s fully-automated ordering and delivery platform. The next-generation Acadia satellites include a number of enhancements to Capella’s existing constellation, including increased bandwidth and power and faster downlink speeds. When combined with Capella’s existing long-dwell imaging capability and extended duty-cycle – which results in more images collected per orbit than other SAR systems – Acadia will continue to set the benchmark within the SAR industry.
All four upcoming Electron missions will launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, each deploying a single Acadia satellite to a 640 km mid-inclination orbit, expanding the existing Capella Space SAR constellation and providing more rapid revisit across diverse regions around the Earth. Each Capella Space satellite will also be supported by a Rocket Lab-manufactured Advanced Lightband: separation systems for each satellite to attach to and deploy from Electron once launched to orbit.
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#9
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 21 Jul, 2023 04:42
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#10
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 24 Jul, 2023 02:28
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#11
by
Ken the Bin
on 24 Jul, 2023 13:38
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NGA Rocket Launching and Space Debris notices.
240647Z JUL 23
HYDROPAC 2416/23(76).
WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
0500Z TO 0700Z DAILY 28 JUL THRU 15 AUG
IN AREA BOUND BY
39-07.20S 177-59.70E, 39-17.20S 177-45.00E,
39-46.80S 178-31.00E, 39-30.20S 178-45.00E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 150800Z AUG 23.//
240629Z JUL 23
HYDROPAC 2415/23(76,83).
SOUTH PACIFIC.
CHATHAM ISLANDS.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
0500Z TO 0700Z DAILY 28 JUL THRU 15 AUG
IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 42-36.0S 177-24.0W, 42-00.0S 176-48.0W,
43-30.0S 173-42.0W, 44-18.0S 174-36.0W.
B. 47-48.0S 165-54.0W, 47-24.0S 165-36.0W,
48-42.0S 161-30.0W, 49-06.0S 161-54.0W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 150800Z AUG 23.//
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#12
by
GewoonLukas_
on 24 Jul, 2023 22:29
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#13
by
the_big_boot
on 25 Jul, 2023 17:21
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damn, LC-1B again. it's now been over a year since RL launched from LC-1A
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#14
by
GewoonLukas_
on 25 Jul, 2023 19:27
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damn, LC-1B again. it's now been over a year since RL launched from LC-1A
LC-1A is currently being upgraded with upgrades LC-1B has had since the start.
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#15
by
trimeta
on 25 Jul, 2023 20:01
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damn, LC-1B again. it's now been over a year since RL launched from LC-1A
LC-1A is currently being upgraded with upgrades LC-1B has had since the start.
Launch Complex 2 went from "commencing construction" to "operational"
in just ten months, shouldn't they have been able to tear down LC-1A and fully rebuild it from scratch by now?
(Admittedly, the time from "operational" to "actually used for a launch" was significantly longer, but it's believed that that was mostly due to hold-ups in certifying the AFTS.)
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#16
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 25 Jul, 2023 20:08
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https://twitter.com/capellaspace/status/1683831740102590464 Introducing the Acadia-1 mission patch! The Maneki-neko cat beckons prosperity for the next evolution of our growing #SAR constellation. With global coverage and 30-sec dwell, we can provide a clear high-res image of the nightlife anywhere in the world #WeLovetheNightlife
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#17
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 25 Jul, 2023 22:00
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#18
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 26 Jul, 2023 04:49
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2 days slip to July 30 due to weather:
https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1684058155100291074The weather is closing in at Launch Complex 1 in the coming days, so we’re now targeting no earlier than 30 July NZT for the launch of #WeLoveTheNightLife for @capellaspace.
🚀 NZT: 17:00, July 30
🚀 UTC: 05:00, July 30
🚀 PDT: 22:00, July 29
🚀 EDT: 01:00, July 30
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#19
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 28 Jul, 2023 02:54
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#20
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 28 Jul, 2023 03:52
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#21
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 29 Jul, 2023 05:48
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https://investors.rocketlabusa.com/news/news-details/2023/Rocket-Lab-Prepares-for-40th-Electron-Launch/default.aspxRocket Lab Prepares for 40th Electron Launch
07/28/2023
The 'We Love the Nightlife' mission, Rocket Lab’s 40th Electron launch, is scheduled to launch this weekend and will deliver the first of Capella Space’s next generation ‘Acadia’ Earth observation satellites to low Earth orbit.
LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a leading launch and space systems company, is scheduled to launch its 40th Electron mission as early as Sunday 30 July UTC.
The mission will lift-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand and is scheduled for launch between:
NZST: 17:00 – 19:00, July 30
UTC: 05:00 – 07:00, July 30
EDT: 01:00 – 03:00, July 30
PDT: 22:00 – 24:00, July 29
The mission, named ‘We Love the Nightlife,’will deploy a spacecraft for American space tech company Capella Space (Capella), a leading provider of commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. The mission will deliver the first of Capella’s next generation ‘Acadia’ Earth observation satellites.
‘We Love the Nightlife’will be Rocket Lab’s third launch for Capella following the successful 'Stronger Together' mission launched in March 2023 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 in Virginia, and the 'I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical' mission in August 2020 from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, which deployed the first satellite in Capella’s SAR constellation.
‘We Love the Nightlife’ will be Rocket Lab’s eighth Electron mission for the year and the Company’s 40th Electron overall.
The mission will be live streamed at www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream. For real time updates on launch day, follow Rocket Lab on Twitter @RocketLab. Images and videos will be available for download on Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjANcH8
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#22
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 29 Jul, 2023 22:43
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https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1685420275708690432A unique view of LC-1 from our friends at @capellaspace.
We remain on track to launch their next-gen Acadia satellite today at 17:00 NZST/ 05:00 UTC 🚀
twitter.com/capellaspace/status/1685387245153316865
Sunset collect of Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand where @RocketLab's Electron rocket is ready to launch our next-gen Acadia satellite. #SAR data lets us collect cloud-free imagery anytime of day. Launch window opens soon at 22:00 PDT. Don't miss it! #WeLoveTheNightlife
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#23
by
catdlr
on 30 Jul, 2023 00:18
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#24
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 30 Jul, 2023 01:32
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The Date on the Thread Title needs to change to 7/29 ??
Launch time is both on July 30 in UTC and New Zealand local time.
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#25
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 30 Jul, 2023 04:37
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#26
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 30 Jul, 2023 05:05
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#27
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:17
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#28
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:31
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#29
by
catdlr
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:37
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RL Livestream is live with atmospheric music
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#30
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:40
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#31
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:45
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#32
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:45
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Webcast has begun. One attempt to launch today.
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#33
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:46
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T-15 minutes. Weather is 90% go.
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#34
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:46
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#35
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:48
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#36
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:49
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T-12 minutes. Performing poll.
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#37
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:50
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T-11 minutes. Go for terminal count.
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#38
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:51
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Vehicle specs.
T-10 minutes.
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#39
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:52
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#40
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:54
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T-7 minutes. Our commentators.
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#41
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:56
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T-5 minutes. Recap of last flight.
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#42
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:57
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#43
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:58
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T-3 minutes. Autosequence is locked.
LD is go for launch.
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#44
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 06:59
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T-2 minutes. Vehicle is fully on internal power.
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#45
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:00
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T-1 minute. Stage 1 and 2 tanks are pressed.
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#46
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:01
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#47
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:01
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There was a very brief ignition and then it stopped.
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#48
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:02
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#49
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:02
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Explaining abort criteria. As end of window, this is a scrub. Details to be provided on next opportunity.
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#50
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:03
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#51
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:06
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https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1685547344652365824Today's launch was aborted on ignition, so we're standing down 🚀
In the final seconds before lift-off, Electron's flight computer actively monitors a wide range of vehicle performance parameters, and when any of these parameters are violated, the vehicle determines is it not ready for flight and triggers a safe abort. Electron did exactly what it was designed to today, allowing us to try again soon!
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#52
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:08
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Here's the moment of ignition.
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#53
by
catdlr
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:16
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T-7 minutes. Our commentators.
They were cute and professional too. Love the native NZ people.
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#54
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:40
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https://twitter.com/peter_j_beck/status/1685555736905211904Low igniter pressure on one engine. It did not pass it’s Go test and an auto abort was called. Its not uncommon to see low pressures now and again, we just have not seen it lead to an abort for a while. My bet is a tricky pressure transducer. The team will sort it quickly.
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#55
by
Robert_the_Doll
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:48
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#56
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 30 Jul, 2023 07:51
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#57
by
Zed_Noir
on 30 Jul, 2023 09:06
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T-7 minutes. Our commentators.
They were cute and professional too. Love the native NZ people.
Ahem. The lady on the right of the picture or her parents is likely East Indian.
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#58
by
catdlr
on 30 Jul, 2023 09:17
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T-7 minutes. Our commentators.
They were cute and professional too. Love the native NZ people.
Ahem. The lady on the right of the picture or her parents is likely East Indian.
When you listen to her dialect, she reminds me of Omega from the Bad Batch. I don't disagree with you.
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#59
by
mn
on 30 Jul, 2023 12:32
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https://twitter.com/peter_j_beck/status/1685555736905211904
Low igniter pressure on one engine. It did not pass it’s Go test and an auto abort was called. Its not uncommon to see low pressures now and again, we just have not seen it lead to an abort for a while. My bet is a tricky pressure transducer. The team will sort it quickly.
what would happen if you ignored that pressure reading? You'd know in a second if the engine ignited in which case you can safely ignore the reading. If the engine doesn't ignite you'll have plenty of opportunity to abort. So why abort for this? What's the risk?
Edit: just thinking out loud here, could low ignitor pressure lead to a 'partial ignition' and some kind of engine damage?
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#60
by
Michael S
on 30 Jul, 2023 20:34
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what would happen if you ignored that pressure reading? You'd know in a second if the engine ignited in which case you can safely ignore the reading. If the engine doesn't ignite you'll have plenty of opportunity to abort. So why abort for this? What's the risk?
Edit: just thinking out loud here, could low ignitor pressure lead to a 'partial ignition' and some kind of engine damage?
Consider all the possibilities of failure.
1. propellent injection, snuffs out the ignitor, no ignition in one engine. Abort
2. propellent ignites, but ignition of propellant creating back pressure into the igniter valve... Boom, no abort. Launch failure.(hopefully the explosion is contained within the engine in question)
3. propellent injection, snuffs out the ignitor, no ignition in one engine. Propellant sprays out the the bell and is ignited by the other engines... Hardstart. boom?
D. Well, I don't know actually. I'm sure there are multiple scenarios which the list could go into the double digits.
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#61
by
GewoonLukas_
on 30 Jul, 2023 20:36
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#62
by
OneSpeed
on 31 Jul, 2023 01:03
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NGA Rocket Launching and Space Debris notices.
Better late than never?
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#63
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 31 Jul, 2023 03:27
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#64
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 31 Jul, 2023 04:21
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https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1685866058518044672🎵 Raindrops keep falling on my launch site 🌧️
With unfavorable weather closing in on LC-1, we’re now targeting no earlier than 4 August for the launch of #WeLoveTheNightlife for @CapellaSpace 🚀
NZT | 4 Aug, 17:00
UTC | 4 Aug, 05:00
PDT | 3 Aug, 22:00
EDT | 4 Aug, 01:00
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#65
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 01 Aug, 2023 04:29
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#66
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 03 Aug, 2023 04:37
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https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1686902598593544194🚀 Launch update 🚀
Strong winds persist at Launch Complex 1, so we’re now targeting no earlier than August 6th for the launch of #WeLoveTheNightlife for @CapellaSpace
NZT | 17:00, Aug 6
UTC | 05:00, Aug 6
PDT | 22:00, Aug 5
EDT | 01:00, Aug 6
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#67
by
gongora
on 05 Aug, 2023 17:17
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[TechCrunch] Capella’s Earth-imaging satellites are deorbiting faster than expectedIn a statement to TechCrunch, Capella CEO Payam Banazadeh confirmed that some of the satellites have been deorbiting faster than expected “due to the combination of increased drag due to much higher solar activity than predicted by NOAA and less than expected performance from our 3rd party propulsion system.”
“We have upgraded our propulsion system on all future satellites to account for these facts, including the launch of our next generation satellite Acadia-1, currently scheduled for launch on August 5th 2023. We plan to launch eight of our next generation Acadia satellites over the next 12 months,” he added.
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#68
by
Ken the Bin
on 06 Aug, 2023 01:56
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Webcast (video id dxdHJHBTUEM):
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#69
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 06 Aug, 2023 04:47
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The RocketLab livestream has been made unavailable and its about 14 minutes to expected launch!
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#70
by
northenarc
on 06 Aug, 2023 04:48
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Scrub due to out of family sensor data.
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#71
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 06 Aug, 2023 04:52
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Scrub due to out of family sensor data.
Source?
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#72
by
northenarc
on 06 Aug, 2023 04:55
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Scrub due to out of family sensor data.
Source?
Secondhand from Zach at The Launch Pad Youtube channel, I'm guessing via Twitter, but they won't let me see posts without an account there anymore.
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#73
by
Ken the Bin
on 06 Aug, 2023 05:00
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#74
by
trimeta
on 06 Aug, 2023 07:09
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#75
by
catdlr
on 06 Aug, 2023 07:24
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#76
by
catdlr
on 06 Aug, 2023 07:29
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Scrub due to out of family sensor data.
Source?
Secondhand from Zach at The Launch Pad Youtube channel, I'm guessing via Twitter, but they won't let me see posts without an account there anymore.
Will that wasn't very professional of them?
Thanks, Steven for the coverage attempt anyway. Catch you on the reschedule.
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#77
by
Ken the Bin
on 10 Aug, 2023 04:07
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The NGA Rocket Launching and Space Debris notices are canceled TBD.
100333Z AUG 23
HYDROPAC 2574/23(76).
WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
CANCEL HYDROPAC 2416/23 AND THIS MSG.//
100358Z AUG 23
HYDROPAC 2575/23(76,83).
SOUTH PACIFIC.
CHATHAM ISLANDS.
DNC 06.
CANCEL HYDROPAC 2415/23 AND THIS MSG.//
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#78
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 10 Aug, 2023 06:58
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#79
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 14 Aug, 2023 22:14
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#80
by
Ken the Bin
on 14 Aug, 2023 22:39
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#81
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 17 Aug, 2023 13:11
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#82
by
Ken the Bin
on 19 Aug, 2023 03:38
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New NGA Rocket Launching notice. No new Space Debris notice yet.
190134Z AUG 23
HYDROPAC 2673/23(76).
WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
232330Z AUG TO 060330Z SEP IN AREA BOUND BY
39-15.60S 178-14.40E, 39-12.00S 178-00.00E,
39-12.00S 177-51.00E, 39-15.00S 177-48.00E,
39-19.47S 177-48.37E, 39-46.85S 178-31.01E,
39-31.19S 178-43.19E, 39-24.00S 178-31.80E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 060430Z SEP 23.
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#83
by
Ken the Bin
on 19 Aug, 2023 12:13
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The new NGA Space Debris notice.
190929Z AUG 23
HYDROPAC 2676/23(76,83).
SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
232330Z AUG TO 060330Z SEP IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 41-27.00S 177-00.00W, 42-15.00S 178-00.00W,
44-06.00S 175-00.00W, 43-12.00S 174-00.00W.
B. 46-42.00S 166-51.00W, 47-18.00S 167-18.00W,
49-00.00S 162-30.00W, 48-12.00S 162-00.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 060430Z SEP 23.
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#84
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 21 Aug, 2023 21:58
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https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1693743547923795974L-2 days until Electron lifts off from Launch Complex 1 for @capellaspace. The weather is currently trending green for launch day ☀️
Launch window opens:
🚀NZST: 11:30 am, Aug 24
🚀UTC: 23:30, Aug 23
🚀PDT: 4:30 pm, Aug 23
🚀EDT: 7:30 pm, Aug 23
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#85
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 08:19
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#86
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 16:53
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#87
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 18:40
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#88
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 20:20
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https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230823216471/en/Rocket-Lab-Brings-Forward-Milestone-Recovery-MissionRocket Lab Brings Forward Milestone Recovery Mission
Rocket Lab plans to recover the Electron rocket’s first stage during the Company’s upcoming 40th mission, and launch a pre-flown Rutherford engine for the first time, accelerating plans to make Electron the world’s first reusable small orbital rocket.
August 23, 2023 04:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time
LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a leading launch and space systems company, today announced it has accelerated its next recovery mission. The 'We Love the Nightlife' mission, scheduled for lift-off today, will now fly on a recovery-configured Electron rocket. For the first time, Rocket Lab will also launch a pre-flown Rutherford engine, a significant milestone in the program to evolve Electron into a reusable rocket.
“This mission is a big step toward reusable Electron rockets”
Scheduled to launch as early 11:45 am NZST today (23:45 UTC) from Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site in New Zealand, the mission will be Rocket Lab’s 40th Electron launch overall and will deploy a spacecraft for American space tech company Capella, a leading provider of commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery.
As a recovery mission, Electron’s first stage will return to Earth under a parachute after launch and splash down in the Pacific Ocean several hundred kilometers down range from Launch Complex 1. Rocket Lab’s marine recovery vessel will then extract the stage from the ocean and transport it back to Rocket Lab’s production complex for analysis and testing. Rocket Lab has previously recovered first stages from seven Electron launches and ‘We Love The Nightlife’ is intended to be one of the final tests before the Company attempts to refly a booster for the first time in the coming months.
In addition to recovering the booster, Rocket Lab will fly a pre-flown 3D printed Rutherford engine for the first time. The engine previously flew on the first stage of the ‘There and Back Again’ mission, successfully launched in May 2022. The engine has since undergone extensive qualification and acceptance testing to certify it for re-flight, including multiple full mission duration hot fires where the pre-flown engine performed flawlessly.
“This mission is a big step toward reusable Electron rockets,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck. “The engines we’re bringing back from previous recovery missions are performing exceptionally well through requalification and acceptance testing, so we’re excited to send one on its second trip to space as one of the final steps before reflying an entire first stage. Once again our team has demonstrated impressive responsiveness by swapping vehicles matter of days, enabling us to get Capella to orbit on schedule, while giving us another opportunity to splash down and recover a new booster. With the production team pumping out a new Electron rocket every three weeks, we have the unique ability to shuffle stages around to maintain a rapid launch cadence.”
The 'We Love the Nightlife' mission was previously scheduled for launch earlier this month, and was initially not destined to be a recovery mission, but low ignitor pressure on a single engine during an initial launch attempt required the team to stand down and conduct further analysis. To keep the mission on schedule, and also expedite Rocket Lab’s reusability efforts the fairing, with Capella payload integrated within, was swapped onto the next available recovery-configured first stage in Rocket Lab’s production line.
‘We Love The Nightlife’ will deliver the first of Capella’s next generation ‘Acadia’ Earth observation satellites. The mission will be Rocket Lab’s third launch for Capella following the successful ‘Stronger Together’ mission launched in March 2023 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 in Virginia, and the ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical’ mission in August 2020 from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, which deployed the first satellite in Capella’s SAR constellation.
The launch will be live streamed at www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream. For real time updates on launch day, follow Rocket Lab on Twitter @RocketLab. Images and videos will be available for download on Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjANcH8
Launch window opens:
NZST: 11:45 – 15:30, August 24th
UTC: 23:45 – 03:30, August 23rd
EDT: 19:45 – 23:30, August 23rd
PDT: 16:45 – 20:30, August 23rd
Photo caption:
A recovery-configured Rocket Lab Electron launch vehicle sits on the pad at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand ahead of lift-off for Capella Space. (Photo: Business Wire)
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#89
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 20:25
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twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1694445669002740176
Another surprise! For the first time, we’re launching with a preflown Rutherford engine today. This is a major step toward evolving Electron into a reusable rocket.
Spot the engine that has already been to space and back.
Edit to add:
https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1694445852960621043The preflown engine launching today was originally flown on the “There and Back Again” mission in May 2022. Relive that mission here:
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#90
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 20:46
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#91
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 21:00
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#92
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:17
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#93
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:20
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#94
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:27
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#95
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:28
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#96
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:29
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#97
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:31
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T-15 minutes. Payload in fairing.
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#98
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:34
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T-12 minutes. Performing poll.
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#99
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:34
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#100
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:36
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T-10 minutes. Vehicle, engine and stage specs.
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#101
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:36
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#102
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:38
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T-8 minutes. Video montage of previous 39 launches.
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#103
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:40
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Animation of recovery sequence.
T-5 minutes.
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#104
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:43
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T-3 minutes. Go for autosequence start.
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#105
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:44
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T-2 minutes. Vehicle on internal power.
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#106
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:45
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T-1 minute. Stages pressed for flight.
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#107
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:46
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#108
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:47
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#109
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:47
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#110
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:48
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#111
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:49
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#112
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:49
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First stage separation.
T+3 minutes.
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#113
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:50
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#114
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:51
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Fairing separation.
T+4 minutes.
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#115
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:51
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#116
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:52
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#117
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:52
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#118
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:53
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#119
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:54
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Drogue deployed.
T+8 minutes.
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#120
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:54
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#121
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:55
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Main chute deployed.
T+9 minutes.
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#122
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:55
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#123
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:56
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SECO.
T+10 minutes. Stage descending.
Upcoming events.
+00:54:22 Kick Stage Curie engine ignition
+00:57:34 Curie engine Cut Off
~00:57:34 Payload Deployed
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#124
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:58
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Expected AOS of Kick Stage at T+43 minutes and 54 seconds.
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#125
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 23 Aug, 2023 23:58
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#126
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:05
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#127
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:06
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"First stage splashdown."
T+20 minutes.
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#128
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:06
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#129
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:07
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#130
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:27
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T+40 minutes. Over the Atlantic Ocean.
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#131
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:31
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T+43 minutes and 54 seconds. Expected AOS.
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#132
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:41
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T+54 minutes and 22 seconds. Expected ignition for 3 minutes and 12 seconds.
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#133
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:42
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Recovery ship still on the way.
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#134
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:44
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T+57 minutes and 34 seconds. "Stage 3 shutdown."
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#135
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:45
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Payload deployment confirmed.
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#136
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:47
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Animation of separation and back to the control room.
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#137
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 24 Aug, 2023 00:50
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Launch replay and end of webcast.
Congratulations to Rocketlab and Capella for the successful launch!
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#138
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 24 Aug, 2023 06:12
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#139
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 24 Aug, 2023 06:13
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Launch highlights
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#140
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 24 Aug, 2023 06:17
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#141
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 24 Aug, 2023 06:19
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#142
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 24 Aug, 2023 06:26
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Congratulations to Capella and RocketLab on the successful launch!
Great to see RocketLab take a first reuse step. I’m sure many more will soon follow. I really look forward to the time when SpaceX are not the only launch operator routinely reusing boosters.
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#143
by
TrevorMonty
on 24 Aug, 2023 08:04
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I really look forward to the time when SpaceX are not the only launch operator routinely reusing boosters.
This time next year hopefully.
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#144
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 24 Aug, 2023 19:21
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#145
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 24 Aug, 2023 19:54
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https://twitter.com/spaceoffshore/status/1694800133387325774Haven't seen any photos or confirmation from Rocket Lab that the company managed to recover Electron following its successful splash down during the mission yesterday.
Charter recovery ship SeaSurveryor got underway back towards New Zealand around approx. T+4 hours after liftoff
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#146
by
Starshipdown
on 24 Aug, 2023 20:55
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#147
by
Bean Kenobi
on 24 Aug, 2023 21:53
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#148
by
Zed_Noir
on 25 Aug, 2023 04:07
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#149
by
TrevorMonty
on 25 Aug, 2023 05:23
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Maybe different ship. Seaworks has few boats in fleet.
Seaworker was original boat with deck cradle. Last time they use Seasurveyor with side cradle.
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#150
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 25 Aug, 2023 05:41
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More Rocket Lab launch photos
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#151
by
Zed_Noir
on 25 Aug, 2023 05:54
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Maybe different ship. Seaworks has few boats in fleet.
Seaworker was original boat with deck cradle. Last time they use Seasurveyor with side cradle.
According to the tweet from @SpaceOffShore a few post back. Rocket Lab is using the SeaSurveyor for this launch recovery.
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#152
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 25 Aug, 2023 20:14
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#153
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 01 Sep, 2023 04:25
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#154
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 06 Sep, 2023 05:46
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#155
by
gongora
on 08 Sep, 2023 14:48
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Request for Special Temporary Authority (180 Days)
Capella Space Corp. hereby requests Special Temporary Authority to operate the Acadia-1 satellite at altitudes between 640 and 649 km for a period of 180 days.1 This authorization is necessary to permit, on a temporary basis, operations of this satellite at altitudes greater than the 640 km already authorized,2 due to an unexpectedly high initial deployment altitude.
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#156
by
TrevorMonty
on 08 Sep, 2023 17:49
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Request for Special Temporary Authority (180 Days)
Capella Space Corp. hereby requests Special Temporary Authority to operate the Acadia-1 satellite at altitudes between 640 and 649 km for a period of 180 days.1 This authorization is necessary to permit, on a temporary basis, operations of this satellite at altitudes greater than the 640 km already authorized,2 due to an unexpectedly high initial deployment altitude.
Thats not good. RL pride themselves on accurate deployment of payloads.
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#157
by
DeimosDream
on 10 Sep, 2023 19:45
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Request for Special Temporary Authority (180 Days)
Capella Space Corp. hereby requests Special Temporary Authority to operate the Acadia-1 satellite at altitudes between 640 and 649 km for a period of 180 days.1 This authorization is necessary to permit, on a temporary basis, operations of this satellite at altitudes greater than the 640 km already authorized,2 due to an unexpectedly high initial deployment altitude.
Thats not good. RL pride themselves on accurate deployment of payloads.
It looks like the they were targeting the upper edge at 640km circular and ended up in 644x657km. Considering Rocket Lab advertises ±15km when flying to 500km a +17km overshoot from 640 might well be within agreed tolerance, so probably not that unexpected.
For anyone trying to track Acadia 2023-126A is Capella-11 while 2023-126B is the kickstage for reference.