Tag: Electron
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Launch Roundup: SpaceX lands its 300th booster, NASA tests a solar sail, and China launches three more taikonauts
During the last full week of April, planned launches include two Starlink missions and another Falcon 9 flight lifting customer satellites. The first Starlink mission of the week saw another milestone reached with the 300th landing of a Falcon 9 booster on the Group 6-53 mission. The delayed WorldView Legion 1 & 2 mission, which…
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Rocket Lab launches fourth satellite for Japanese Earth-imaging company, Synspective
Rocket Lab’s 45th Electron rocket to date launches on the “Owl Night Long” mission for Synspective. Image: Rocket Lab Rocket Lab launches its third Electron mission of the year and its fourth for Japanese Earth-imaging company, Synspective. The mission, dubbed “Owl Night Long,” lifted off on March 13 from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex-1 in Mahia,…
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Before snagging a chunk of space junk, Astroscale must first catch up to one
Astroscale, a well-capitalized Japanese startup, is preparing a small satellite to do something that has never been done in space. This new spacecraft, delivered into orbit Sunday by Rocket Lab, will approach a defunct upper stage from a Japanese H-IIA rocket that has been circling Earth for more than 15 years. Over the next few…
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ADRAS-J mission takes methodical first steps toward the commercial removal of space debris
The recent increase in launches to meet growing demands for communications and observation satellites is adding more and more spacecraft to orbit every year. This is especially true in the more congested low-Earth orbit (LEO). With a sharp focus on making space safe and sustainable for the current as well as future generations, organizations such…
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Rocket Lab’s Electron Launches Astroscale’s ADRAS-J Satellite for Space Cleanup
Astroscale’s ADRAS-J spacecraft, launched aboard a Rocket Lab Electron from New Zealand’s Launch Complex 1, aims to rendezvous with and inspect a spent upper stage in low Earth orbit, setting the stage for its eventual removal. This mission marks Rocket Lab’s second launch of the year, following the deployment of four satellites for NorthStar Earth…
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Launch Roundup: SpaceX to launch next ISS crew rotation; Electron launches debris removal demonstration
Despite multiple scrubs and delays due to weather violations, SpaceX broke its own cadence record in January with 10 launches and landings in a calendar month. Those weather challenges have prevailed into February. Between these and the pad logistics related to launching the Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission, PACE satellite, USSF-124, and an upcoming crewed mission,…
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Rocket Lab launches first recovery Electron mission of 2024
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket lifts off from New Zealand on the company’s first flight of 2024. Image: Rocket Lab Rocket Lab was back in action on Wednesday, kicking off its launch year with a recovery Electron mission from New Zealand. This was its second return to flight mission following a mishap late last year.…
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Rocket Lab kicks off 2024 with “Four of a Kind” satellite mission
Rocket Lab launched its first launch of 2024, with the Electron launch vehicle lofting four Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites into low-Earth orbit from the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand. Named “Four of a Kind,” Electron is lifted off from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex-1B in Māhia at 7:34 PM NZDT on Jan. 31 (06:34 UTC).…
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Launch Roundup: Northrop Grumman prepare the first Cygnus to fly on Falcon 9
Recent challenges with weather concerns and the movement of key flights such as USSF-52 and Axiom-3 have impacted Falcon 9 launch dates, not least Starlink Group 7-11 which scrubbed three times and finally launched on Tuesday, albeit with problems on the launch livestream. SpaceX had two drone ships and the two fairing recovery ships in…
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Rocket Lab successfully completes return-to-flight Electron launch
Update 12:05 a.m. EST: Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket successfully deployed the Tsukuyomi-1 satellite. Rocket Lab launched its first flight of its Electron rocket since a failure on Sept. 19. The 42nd mission for the small-satellite launcher lifted off on Dec. 15 from New Zealand during at about 1705 NZDT (0405 UTC or 11:05 p.m. EST).…