Rocket Lab Launches 107th Satellite to Orbit, Successfully Tests Helicopter Recovery Operations
November 17 2021 - 11:44PM
Business Wire
Rocket Lab (Nasdaq: RKLB), a leading launch and space systems
company, has successfully deployed two satellites to orbit for
real-time geospatial monitoring company BlackSky (NYSE: BKSY).
Rocket Lab also successfully introduced helicopter operations to a
recovery mission for the first time, using a helicopter to observe
and track the Electron rocket’s first stage as it descended to
Earth under parachute as part of the company’s program to make
Electron the world’s first reusable, orbital-class commercial small
rocket.
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Successful lift-off of Rocket Lab's 22nd
Electron mission, 'Love At First Insight', from Rocket Lab Launch
Complex 1 in New Zealand. (Photo: Business Wire)
The ‘Love At First Insight’ mission, arranged for BlackSky
through launch services provider Spaceflight Inc., was Electron’s
22nd lift-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s
Mahia Peninsula. Following lift-off at 01:38 UTC, 18 November 2021,
Electron successfully delivered the two BlackSky Gen-2
Earth-imaging satellites to a circular 430km orbit, growing
BlackSky’s constellation of real-time geospatial monitoring
spacecraft and bringing the total number of satellites deployed by
Rocket Lab to 107.
Today’s mission also included a controlled ocean splashdown and
recovery of Electron’s first stage. For the first time, Rocket Lab
stationed a helicopter in the recovery zone around 200 nautical
miles offshore to track and observe the descending stage in
preparation for future aerial capture attempts. The helicopter
successfully tracked the returning rocket and completed
communications tests in the recovery zone, bringing Rocket Lab a
step closer to catching a rocket from the sky, bringing it back to
the production complex for refurbishment, and then launching it to
space again.
Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO, says: “Today’s launch
was a masterclass from an incredible team of engineers on how to
successfully deliver customers’ satellites to space while at the
same time demonstrating cutting-edge operations and innovation that
pushes the space industry forward on small rocket reusability. This
is our third successful proof of concept recovery mission, and
further cements Electron as the leading launch vehicle for the
small satellite market. We are all excited to move onto the next
phase of reusability next year; catching Electron in the air with a
helicopter.”
The ‘Love At First Insight’ mission was the latest launch for
BlackSky as part of a multi-launch agreement to deploy numerous
BlackSky satellites on Electron. Five BlackSky satellites have now
been successfully deployed to low Earth orbit so far on missions
across 2019 and this year. As part of the deal, another two
BlackSky satellites are scheduled for launch on Rocket Lab’s next
Electron mission named “A Data With Destiny”, which is scheduled to
launch during a 14-day launch window that opens in December.
Today’s successfully deployed satellites, along with those
previously launched to space by Rocket Lab and the remaining four
satellites next in line, represent the largest number of satellites
BlackSky has dedicated to a single launch provider to date.
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+ 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, spacecraft components,
satellites and other spacecraft 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 105 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, one of which is currently operational, and a second launch
site in Virginia, USA which is expected to become operational by
the end of 2021. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.
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+ Rocket Lab Media Contact Murielle Baker media@rocketlabusa.com
+64 27 538 9040
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