Rocket Lab Successfully Launches First of Two Responsive Space Missions for the National Reconnaissance Office
July 13 2022 - 4:01AM
Business Wire
Rocket Lab USA, Inc (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the
Company”), a leading launch and space systems company, has
successfully launched the first of two responsive space missions
for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
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Lift-off of the NROL-162 national
security mission for the National Reconnaissance Office on Electron
from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1. (Photo: Business Wire)
Following lift-off of NROL-162 (“Wise One Looks Ahead”) from Pad
A at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 at 06:30 UTC, July 13, 2022,
Electron successfully delivered the NRO’s national security payload
to space. In partnership with the Australian Department of Defence,
NROL-162 will provide critical information to the United States
Government’s agencies and allies and national security decision
makers monitoring and responding to world events and humanitarian
issues.
“Wise One Looks Ahead” is the first of a pair of back-to-back
responsive space missions commissioned by the NRO for dedicated
launch on Electron. NROL-199 (“Antipodean Adventure”), the
follow-up mission to NROL-162, is scheduled to launch in just nine
days’ time from Pad B at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on July 22,
2022. With multiple launch pads, dedicated range and mission
control centres, and several Electron rockets ready to fly, Rocket
Lab is delivering responsive space capability to the national
security community.
NROL-162 and NROL-199 are the latest pair of missions awarded by
the NRO under the Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR)
contract. Rocket Lab previously successfully delivered a pair of
national security missions to space for the NRO on Electron in
January and June 2020.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck, says: “The successful
deployment of NROL-162 to orbit is another fantastic achievement by
the Rocket Lab team, but we’re not resting on our laurels. No other
small launch provider has ever before prepared a dedicated launch
for a small national security payload in such a rapid turnround,
and our sights are set on delivering the next NRO mission to space
in record-time.”
NEXT MISSION NROL-199 / “Antipodean Adventure” launch
details:
- Launch Window Opens: July 22, UTC
- Launch vehicle: Electron
- Customer: National Reconnaissance Office
- Launch site: Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Pad B
- Mission type: Dedicated
- Payload: NROL-199
+ Images & Video Content https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzPrHL
+ About Rocket Lab Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end
space company with an established track record of mission success.
We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture,
spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make
it faster, easier and more affordable to access space.
Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and
manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle and the
Photon satellite platform and is developing the Neutron 8-ton
payload class launch vehicle. Since its first orbital launch in
January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the
second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has
delivered 148 satellites to orbit for private and public sector
organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific
research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate
monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft
platform has been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and
Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus.
Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two
launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand
and a second launch site in Virginia, USA which is expected to
become operational in 2022. To learn more, visit
www.rocketlabusa.com.
+ FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release may contain
certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking
statements are based on Rocket Lab’s current expectations and
beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects.
These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks,
uncertainties (many of which are beyond Rocket Lab’s control), or
other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to
be materially different from those expressed or implied by these
forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause actual future
events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in
this press release, including risks related to the global COVID-19
pandemic; risks related to government restrictions and lock-downs
in New Zealand and other countries in which we operate that could
delay or suspend our operations; delays and disruptions in
expansion efforts; our dependence on a limited number of customers;
the harsh and unpredictable environment of space in which our
products operate which could adversely affect our launch vehicle
and spacecraft; increased congestion from the proliferation of low
Earth orbit constellations which could materially increase the risk
of potential collision with space debris or another spacecraft and
limit or impair our launch flexibility and/or access to our own
orbital slots; increased competition in our industry due in part to
rapid technological development and decreasing costs; technological
change in our industry which we may not be able to keep up with or
which may render our services uncompetitive; average selling price
trends; failure of our launch vehicles, spacecraft and components
to operate as intended either due to our error in design in
production or through no fault of our own; launch schedule
disruptions; supply chain disruptions, product delays or failures;
design and engineering flaws; launch failures; natural disasters
and epidemics or pandemics; changes in governmental regulations
including with respect to trade and export restrictions, or in the
status of our regulatory approvals or applications; or other events
that force us to cancel or reschedule launches, including customer
contractual rescheduling and termination rights; risks that
acquisitions may not be completed on the anticipated time frame or
at all or do not achieve the anticipated benefits and results; and
the other risks detailed from time to time in Rocket Lab’s filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including
under the heading “Risk Factors” in Rocket Lab’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, which was
filed with the SEC on March 24, 2022, and elsewhere (including that
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may also exacerbate the risks
discussed therein). There can be no assurance that the future
developments affecting Rocket Lab will be those that we have
anticipated. Except as required by law, Rocket Lab is not
undertaking any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220713005416/en/
Murielle Baker media@rocketlabusa.com
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