Tag: Electron
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NASA’s final two TROPICS CubeSats launched by Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab’s Electron launcher lifts off from Launch Complex 1B in New Zealand with NASA’s fifth and sixth TROPICS hurricane research satellites. Credit: Rocket Lab The last two spacecraft in a four-satellite constellation of tropical cyclone research platforms took off late Thursday from New Zealand on a Rocket Lab Electron launcher, helping ensure NASA’s TROPICS…
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Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches NASA’s final two TROPICS satellites
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand with the final pair of NASA’s TROPICS hurricane research satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter. Rocket Lab’s live video webcast begins approximately 20 minutes prior to launch, and will be…
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Rocket Lab launches final TROPICS mission
Just under three weeks after Rocket Lab launched the “Rocket Like a Hurricane” mission placing two time-resolved observations of precipitation structure and storm intensity with a constellation of smallsats (TROPICS) satellites for NASA into low Earth orbit, the company launched its Electron rocket on the “Coming to a Storm Near You” mission on Friday. Launching…
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Electron rocket launches pair of cyclone-tracking CubeSats for NASA
Rocket Lab’s Electron launcher lifts off with two of NASA’s TROPICS hurricane research satellites. Credit: Rocket Lab The first pair of four NASA CubeSats designed to provide frequent updates of typhoon and hurricane development for new insights into how tropical storms evolve and intensify were launched by Rocket Lab from its New Zealand spaceport on…
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Twin TROPICS satellites set to be lofted into orbit
Artist’s illustration of a TROPICS CubeSat in space. Credit: NASA Rocket Lab’s launch of NASA’s second pair of TROPICS hurricane research satellites, reassigned from Astra following a launch failure last year, has been rescheduled for Sunday (U.S. time) after a delay due to unfavorable weather at the the company’s New Zealand spaceport. Originally planned as…
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Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches BlackSky satellites from New Zealand
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1B on Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand with the two BlackSky commercial Earth-imaging satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter. Rocket Lab’s live video webcast begins approximately 20 minutes prior to launch, and will be available on this…
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Rocket Lab recovers booster again after launch with BlackSky satellites
An Electron rocket lifts off Friday with two BlackSky Earth-imaging satellites. Credit: Rocket Lab Two BlackSky optical Earth-imaging satellites rode an Electron launcher into orbit Friday from New Zealand, while the Electron’s first stage booster gently parachuted into the Pacific Ocean as engineers consider abandoning airborne rocket recovery in favor of ship-based retrieval and reuse.…
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Rocket Lab launches pair of Capella satellites from Wallops
Rocket Lab, which opened its 2023 campaign with the inauguration of its first US-based launch pad, has launched its second consecutive mission from Launch Complex 2 at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Liftoff of the “Stronger Together” mission occurred 38 minutes into the two-hour window, with T0 at 6:38 PM EDT (22:38 UTC) on…
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Rocket Lab conducts first Electron launch from American soil
Rocket Lab, which has operated its Electron small-satellite launcher successfully from New Zealand since 2017, as now inaugurated its first US-based launch site. After weather and paperwork-related delays, the mission named “Virginia Is For Launch Lovers” lifted off at the opening of a two-hour window at 6:00 PM EST (23:00 UTC) on Tuesday, Jan. 24.…
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Rocket Lab launches successfully, fails mid-air recovery attempt
Six months after its first first-stage recovery attempt, Rocket Lab tried its hand at booster recovery once again, with the launch of its 32nd mission, “Catch Me If You Can.” Liftoff took place on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, at 6:27 AM NZDT (17:27 UTC on Friday, Nov. 4). The California-based launch services company made its…