Tag: Rocket Lab
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Rocket Lab manifests third flight, aims for expanded flight rate and launch sites
As Rocket Lab continues to put together their manifest for the first operational year of Electron’s service, the company is keeping their eye firmly fixed on the future – with options to expand launch operations to other launch sites while operating Electron in a “sweet spot” within the launch market and capitalizing on the company’s…
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Weeks after its launch, ‘Humanity Star’ satellite shines in West Coast skies at last
Rocket Lab’s map provides a sampling of the viewing opportunities for the Humanity Star satellite. (Humanity Star Graphic) It’s been a month and a half since Rocket Lab sent a sparkly satellite called Humanity Star into orbit, but we’re just now getting into prime time for seeing it from the western United States. Humanity Star…
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Rocket Lab to capitalize on test flight success with first operational mission
Rocket Lab is preparing for its first operational flight of their Electron rocket from its launch site on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. The mission will capitalize on the highly successful test flight of Electron in January, which saw the unexpected and previously unannounced launch of the Humanity Star payload as well as the planned…
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Rocket Lab’s test launch carried two previously-unannounced passengers
Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck poses with the Humanity Star satellite. Credit: Rocket Lab A propulsive kick stage designed to expand the performance envelope of Rocket Lab’s light-class Electron satellite launcher and a spacecraft that will grace nighttime skies for the next nine months flew into orbit on the company’s test flight earlier…
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Rocket Lab unveils ‘Humanity Star’ – a shiny satellite you can see in space
Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck shows off the Humanity Star satellite before launch. (Rocket Lab Photo) In addition to launching three Earth-watching satellites, Rocket Lab has sent up a satellite you can watch from Earth: a bright and shiny object christened Humanity Star. Rocket Lab says Humanity Star, a geodesic sphere made of carbon fiber…
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Rocket Lab successfully conducts second Electron launch
Rocket Lab has returned to action with the second launch of its Electron rocket from the Māhia Peninsula from the North Island of New Zealand’s eastern coast. Several attempts to launch at the end of last year were scrubbed before regrouping for a new attempt – which was also scrubbed, due to a wayward boat,…
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Rocket Lab sends Electron rocket into orbit, marking milestone for moon mission
Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle rises from its launch pad in New Zealand. (Rocket Lab via YouTube) Rocket Lab’s two-stage Electron rocket successfully reached Earth orbit and deployed satellites for the first time today, raising hopes for far more ambitious missions to the moon. Today’s mission, which went up from Rocket Lab’s launch complex on…
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Rocket Lab celebrates coming oh so close to orbit with its maiden Electron launch
Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck cheers the first Electron rocket launch. (Rocket Lab via YouTube) Rocket Lab didn’t quite make it to orbit on its first try, but the company’s CEO says he’s “very happy” with the Electron rocket’s performance nevertheless. “We got a lot further than certainly we expected,” founder and CEO Peter Beck…
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Maiden flight of Rocket Lab’s small satellite launcher reaches space
Video credit: Rocket Lab The debut launch of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from a privately-operated base in New Zealand made it to space Thursday, proving the performance of major parts of the booster before faltering short of the velocity it needed to enter orbit, the company said in a statement. The U.S.-New Zealand company said…
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Videos: Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket lifts off for first time
Rocket Lab’s Electron commercial satellite launcher lifted off from New Zealand on its debut test flight Thursday and soared into space on its maiden mission. The 55-foot-tall (17-meter) launcher did not reach orbit as intended, but Rocket Lab said the Electron successfully flew through the booster’s first stage burn, stage separation, second stage ignition and…