{"id":9661,"date":"2025-12-18T17:46:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T09:46:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/rocket-lab-launches-4-novel-disksat-satellites-for-u-s-space-force-nasa\/"},"modified":"2025-12-18T17:46:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T09:46:50","slug":"rocket-lab-launches-4-novel-disksat-satellites-for-u-s-space-force-nasa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/rocket-lab-launches-4-novel-disksat-satellites-for-u-s-space-force-nasa\/","title":{"rendered":"Rocket Lab launches 4 novel DiskSat satellites for U.S. Space Force, NASA"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_71932\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71932\" style=\"width: 678px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-71932\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251218_DiskSat_processing.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"678\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251218_DiskSat_processing.jpeg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251218_DiskSat_processing-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-71932\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An overhead view of Aerospace\u2019s DiskSat during launch preparations. Image: Rocket Lab<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched four novel satellite buses minutes after midnight from Virginia on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>The 20th launch of an Electron rocket was dubbed \u2018Don\u2019t Be Such A Square\u2019 by the company and carried onboard the Space Test Program (STP)-S30 mission. Liftoff from Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Wallops Island, Virginia, occurred at 12:03 a.m. EST (0503 UTC). The four satellite buses, called DiskSats, were developed by The Aerospace Corporation and funded by NASA\u2019s Small Spacecraft and Distributed Systems program.<\/p>\n<p>During a roughly 10-minute deployment sequence, the four spacecraft were deployed into a circular low Earth orbit at 550 km (342 mi), wrapping up about an hour and eight minutes after liftoff. They are now under the management of the U.S. Space Force\u2019s Space Systems Command\u2019s (SSC) System Delta 89 Capability Development Branch.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis launch is another proud moment in Rocket Lab\u2019s long history of successful missions for defense, national security, and commercial space users,\u201d Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2001518811829407874&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2025%2F12%2F18%2Frocket-lab-launches-4-novel-disksat-satellites-for-u-s-space-force-nasa%2F&amp;sessionId=75a14cd151e05d75d4a30168264a87e45bbc5def&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"2001518811829407874\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782461545828672647=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">LIFTOFF for Electron! \u201cDon\u2019t Be Such A Square\u201d is on its way to space for the @USSpaceForce and @USSF_SSC. pic.twitter.com\/liHQUGWsYi<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) December 18, 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The STP-S30 mission was awarded to Rocket Lab in April 2024 under the Orbital Services Program (OSP-4) contract. The mission was pulled forward in the launch manifest, launching roughly five months ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are immensely proud of this collaboration with Rocket Lab, NASA, Aerospace, and SYD 80\u2019s Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP). Their exceptional teamwork and dedication have made this achievement possible,\u201d said USSF Lt. Col. Brian Shimek, Director, Department of Defense, Space Test Program. \u201cProving these advanced technologies in the space environment is a critical step towards their integration into future operational Space Force systems, ensuring our nation maintains its edge in space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Aerospace Corporation said the four DiskSats have a fiber composite main structure that is one-meter in diameter and 2.5 cm thick. Two of the satellites will remain in the 550 km orbit, but the other two will demonstrate their ability to operate at lower altitudes, referred to as Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO).<\/p>\n<p>The satellite buses also include secondary experiments onboard \u201cranging from communications to space environment sensing,\u201d SSC said in a prelaunch statement. Those are managed but the Space Experiment Review Board, which is part of the Department of Defense\u2019s Space Test Program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSTP stands at the forefront of ensuring continued U.S. space superiority. By providing reliable and responsive access for experimental payloads, we accelerate the development and deployment of critical technologies, maintaining our strategic advantage in an increasingly contested space domain,\u201d Shimek said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_71931\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71931\" style=\"width: 678px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-71931\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251218_Electron_DBAS_streak_Rocket_Lab.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"678\" height=\"1016\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251218_Electron_DBAS_streak_Rocket_Lab.jpeg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251218_Electron_DBAS_streak_Rocket_Lab-200x300.jpeg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-71931\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Rocket Lab Electron rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 2 at at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia on Dec. 18, 2025. The rocket flew the STP-S30 mission for the U.S. Space Force\u2019s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC). Image: Rocket Lab<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An overhead view of Aerospace\u2019s DiskSat during launch preparations. Image: Rocket Lab A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched four novel satellite buses minutes after midnight from Virginia on Thursday. The 20th launch of an Electron rocket was dubbed \u2018Don\u2019t Be Such A Square\u2019 by the company and carried onboard the Space Test Program (STP)-S30 mission. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[884,545,190,544,605,885,886,887],"class_list":["post-9661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-dont-be-such-a-square","tag-electron","tag-nasa","tag-rocket-lab","tag-space-systems-command","tag-space-test-program","tag-stp-s30","tag-the-aerospace-corporation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9661"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9661"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9661\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}