![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/CE-SAT-IIB-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRocket Lab launched their fifth Electron mission of 2020 \u2014 a rideshare for Planet Labs and Spaceflight Industries named \u201cIn Focus,\u201d a reference to Electron\u2019s payload of 10 Earth-imaging satellites. The flight targeted a 500 kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, ideal for Earth observation missions as the high inclination means the satellites can cover large portions of the Earth surface while the Sun maintains the same position in the sky each time the satellites pass over a specific location.<\/p>\n
The 15th flight of an Electron rocket from Rocket Lab\u2019s private launch facility on the M\u0101hia Peninsula in New Zealand launched on 28 October at 21:21 UTC (17:21 EDT), or 29 October at 10:21 local time in New Zealand.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Payload Overview<\/b><\/p>\n
Ten payloads in total will be deployed from the Curie engine powered Kick Stage of Electron: Canon\u2019s CE-SAT-IIB and nine of Planet\u2019s Flock 4e\u2019 SuperDoves.<\/p>\n
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CE-SAT-IIB. Credit: Rocket Lab<\/p>\n
Built by Canon Electronics, CE-SAT-IIB is a second generation technical demonstration satellite developed to test the company\u2019s imaging equipment in space.<\/p>\n
The 35.5 kilogram satellite comes equipped with several lenses, including a middle-size telescope \u2014 attached to a 200 millimeter \u201csuper high sensitivity camera\u201d designed for night photography of Earth, according to Canon. <\/p>\n
The spacecraft also contains an EOS M100 secondary telephoto lens, as well as a wide-angle PowerShot camera.<\/p>\n
Aerospace industry analysis (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n Many of the satellite\u2019s critical components, including the sun sensor, star tracker, inertial measurement unit (IMU), reaction wheel, and the on-board computer were all developed and manufactured in-house by Canon.<\/p>\n CE-SAT-IIB\u2019s launch was arranged through Virginia-based Spaceflight Inc., a satellite rideshare provider.<\/p>\n Joining CE-SAT-IIB on the mission are nine of Planet\u2019s SuperDove cubesats that will join the company\u2019s constellation that provides daily images of Earth\u2019s surface \u2014 the largest constellation of its kind.<\/p>\n The SuperDoves will deploy from Rocket Lab\u2019s Maxwell dispensers and will be used for numerous purposes, including observing Earth\u2019s climate, aiding farmers, tracking wildfires, mapping forests, tracking and identifying illegal fishing activity, and supporting disaster response.<\/p>\n Flock 4e\u2019 is a replacement for the Flock 4e satellites that were lost on a failed Electron mission earlier this year \u2014 a flight which also resulted in the end of an earlier-model Canon satellite.<\/p>\n Preparations and Launch<\/b><\/p>\n On 8 October, Rocket Lab conducted a successful wet dress rehearsal (WDR) of the Electron designated for the mission. During this process, the rocket was filled with its RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen and the launch team conducted a normal countdown right up until engine ignition.<\/p>\n The countdown to launch began at T-6 hours at 11:14 EDT (15:14 UTC) when the road to the launch complex was closed.<\/p>\n Electron was taken vertical around T-4 hours, ahead of pad clear and the start of fueling operations at T-2 hours.<\/p>\n At the same time, the marine hazard zones around the launch complex and downrange under Electron\u2019s flight path closed; the airspace surrounding the launch site was restricted beginning at T-30 minutes.<\/p>\n At T-18 minutes, the Launch Director conducted a go\/no go poll of all launch operators in order to continue the countdown. Passing 2 minutes before launch, the team handed off control of the countdown to Electron\u2019s onboard computers.<\/p>\n Planet\u2019s SuperDoves and their Maxwell dispensers. Credit: Rocket Lab<\/p>\n At T-2 seconds, the nine Rutherford engines on Electron\u2019s first stage ignited and reached full thrust, a process that occurred almost instantly due to their electric-driven turbopumps.<\/p>\n After passing all engine start health checks, the launch pad\u2019s hold-downs released Electron for a short, vertical climb before the vehicle began its pitch program.<\/p>\n After 2 minutes and 31 seconds of powered flight, the Rutherford engines on the first stage shutdown. Shortly after, pneumatic pushers separated the first and second stages, followed by ignition of the second stage\u2019s vacuum-optimized Rutherford engine. <\/p>\n After the first stage separated, Rocket Lab did not perform recovery tests on this particular booster.<\/p>\n Back on the second stage, payload fairing separation occurred at 3 minutes and 9 seconds into flight.<\/p>\n At 6 minutes 23 seconds, Electron\u2019s second stage performed its unique \u201chot swap,\u201d where the first round of batteries used to power the vacuum-optimized Rutherford engine\u2019s turbopump were instantly swapped over to a new set of batteries and the old ones jettisoned from the stage.<\/p>\n Electron reached its initial parking orbit at T+8:54 when the second stage shut off. About 10 seconds later, Electron\u2019s Kick Stage separated.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Flock-4e-SuperDoves.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSee Also<\/h4>\n
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