Rocket Lab Prepares for Two Electron Launches in March
Rocket Lab Prepares for Two Electron Launches in March
Satellites will be Launched from New Zealand and Virginia
Rocket Lab is preparing for two launches within 10 days from opposite sides of the planet.
The 14-day launch window for the company's "Owl Night Long" mission opens on March 10th. "Owl Night Long" is a dedicated mission for Synspective, a Japanese Earth-imaging satellite constellation operator. The mission will lift off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand and will deploy a StriX-3 satellite to orbit, continuing a multi-launch agreement to deliver Synspective’s StriX-series satellites to low Earth orbit.
"Electron delivers a tailored, customized launch service that offers Synspective a rare level of precision deployment to ensure their satellites are placed in perfect orbits on rapid timelines."
Peter Beck, Rocket Lab
By flying as a dedicated payload on Electron, Synspective has a high degree of control over the launch schedule and orbital deployment parameters. Electron is also an ideal launch vehicle for the StriX constellation due to a unique Synspective deployment requirement. Electron’s Kick Stage performs an advanced mid-mission maneuver to shield the StriX satellite from the sun to reduce radiation exposure ahead of payload deployment, a level of mission customization not available on large rideshare missions.
“We’re excited to continue our strong partnership with Synspective having been their sole launch provider to date. Electron delivers a tailored, customized launch service that offers Synspective a rare level of precision deployment to ensure their satellites are placed in perfect orbits on rapid timelines," said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck. "We look forward to helping another owl take flight and expanding Synspective’s constellation.”
In the U.S., Rocket Lab plans to launch the "Live and Let Fly" mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from Launch Complex 2 in Wallops, Virginia, during a launch window that opens March 20th, 2024.
The NROL-123 mission will be Rocket Lab’s first launch for the NRO from the United States after previously launching four NRO missions from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. It will be Rocket Lab’s 4th mission from Launch Complex 2, a dedicated pad for the Electron rocket located at Virginia Spaceport Authority's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
The ‘Live and Let Fly’ launch service was acquired using NRO’s Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR) contract. RASR enables the NRO to explore new opportunities for launching small satellites through a streamlined, commercial approach.NRO missions provide critical information to more than a half-million government users, including every member of the Intelligence Community, two dozen domestic agencies, the military, lawmakers, and decision makers.