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ЦитироватьIt's Business Time at Rocket Lab
POSTED ON 13 MARCH 2018

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/233434.jpg)

Huntington Beach, California. March 13, 2018: US orbital launch provider Rocket Lab has today confirmed its next launch will be the company's first fully commercial flight. Two Lemur-2 cubesats for launch customer Spire Global will be on board the upcoming launch, with the full manifest to be confirmed in coming weeks.

The flight's name was put to a vote on social media, with "It's Business Time" coming out as a clear fan favourite and a continuation of company's previous flight names, "It's a Test" and "Still Testing".

Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck says "It's Business Time" highlights Rocket Lab's agile approach to responsive space. The launch has been manifested weeks out fr om launch, rather than the many months or years it can typically take under existing launch models.

"We came at the challenge of opening access to space from a new perspective. Building to tail numbers and tailoring a vehicle to the payload is a rigid and slow way of getting satellites on orbit. As the satellite industry continues to innovate at a break-neck pace and the demand for orbital infrastructure grows, we're there with a production line of Electron vehicles ready to go and a private launch site licensed for flight every 72 hours. Launch will no longer be the bottleneck that slows innovation in space," he says.

"We always set out to test a launch vehicle that was as close to production-ready as possible. To complete a test program so quickly and be flying commercial customers is a great feeling. It's business time," Mr Beck adds.

Rocket Lab's third Electron vehicle will be shipped to Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Māhia Peninsula in coming weeks, wh ere final checkouts will be completed ahead of the "It's Business Time" launch.

This year Rocket Lab is increasing its launch cadence and scaling up production of the Electron launch vehicle to meet a growing manifest. The company aims to produce 100 Rutherford engines in 2018 from its three-acre headquarters and production facility in Huntington Beach, California. More than 30 engines have already been completed and are undergoing integration onto Electron vehicles.

Rocket Lab's first test launch, "It's a Test," was completed in May 2017, with the second test, "Still Testing," taking place in January 2018. This flight successfully reached orbit, deployed commercial customer payloads for Planet and Spire Global and circularized an orbit using a previously unannounced kick stage.

For real-time updates in the lead up to "It's Business Time", follow Rocket Lab on Twitter @RocketLab

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186061.jpg)Spire‏ @SpireGlobal (https://twitter.com/SpireGlobal) 6 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/SpireGlobal/status/973712954435584000)

Excited to be hitching another ride with @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) for It's Business Time!

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 6 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/973706806055718912)

It's Business Time. Next launch coming soon. http://www.rocketlabusa.com/news/updates/its-business-time-at-rocket-lab/ ... (https://t.co/yny51CfjYt)
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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/973976152309223424)

FEATURE ARTICLE: Rocket Lab manifests third flight, aims for expanded flight rate and launch sites -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/03/rocket-lab-manifests-expanded-flight-rate-launch-sites/ ... (https://t.co/Gd3MQ49wPe)

Part 2 of Chris Gebhardt's (@ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF)) interview with @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) CEO Peter Beck.

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Спойлер

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 21 мин.21 минуту назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/978074847614922752)


So I decided my first tweet should share one of my favorite sights - a brand new #Electron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Electron?src=hash) being delivered to Launch Complex 1. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash) is coming soon.
(https://forum.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/file/81499)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 14 ч.14 часов назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/978431231627898880)


Excited to be doing a Reddit AMA on r/space. Kicking off April 5 at 3:00 pm ET/ midday PT. (7:00am, 6 April for Kiwis).

Цитировать(https://forum.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/file/81526)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 5 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/978842658054524929)

Getting ready for #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)
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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 11 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/981300773513506817)

Rocket Lab set Friday April 20, 2018 NZT for the first commercial mission with Electron. 14 day window of opportunity. Each day will have a four-hour launch window that will open from 12:30 p.m. NZDT (00:30 UTC).
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ЦитироватьRocket Lab 'Its Business Time' launch window to open 20 April 2018 NZT
POSTED ON 3 APRIL 2018

Huntington Beach, California, 3 April 2018:

US orbital launch provider Rocket Lab has today confirmed it will open a 14-day launch window this month to conduct the company's first fully commercial launch. The mission, named 'It's Business Time', includes manifested payloads for launch customers Spire Global (https://spire.com/) and GeoOptics Inc., built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems. (http://www.tyvak.com/)

The 14-day 'It's Business Time' launch window will open on Friday April 20, 2018 NZT. During this time a four-hour launch window will open daily from 12:30 p.m. NZDT (00:30 UTC). 'It's Business Time' will launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Licensed to launch every 72 hours, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 is the world's only private orbital launch facility.

Спойлер

Rocket Lab is the only private, dedicated small launch provider globally that has deployed satellites to orbit. 'It's Business Time' marks the fastest transition a private launch provider has made from test program to fully commercial flights. This mission follows just three months after Rocket Lab's January 21, 2018 launch "Still Testing", which successfully deployed an Earth-imaging satellite for Planet (https://www.planet.com/) and circularized the orbit of two weather and AIS ship tracking satellites for Spire Global (https://spire.com/) using Rocket Lab's in-house designed and built kick stage.

"It's Business Time represents the shift to responsive space. We always set out to create a vehicle and launch site that could offer the world's most frequent launch capability and we're achieving that in record time," said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck.

"Rocket Lab is the only small launch provider that has reached orbit and delivered on promises to open access to space for small satellites. We can have payloads on orbit every 72 hours and our rapidly expanding manifest shows this is frequency is critical for the small satellite market," he added.

Rocket Lab can achieve an unprecedented launch frequency thanks to a vertically integrated vehicle manufacturing process that enables Rocket Lab to roll an Electron vehicle off the production line every week. To meet a burgeoning 2018/19 launch manifest, Rocket Lab has rapidly scaled production of the Electron launch vehicle across its three-acre headquarters and production facility in Huntington Beach, California. The company will produce 100 3D printed Rutherford engines this year to support a monthly launch cadence by the end of 2018.

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 7 мин.7 минутназад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/981305120896974848)

#ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash). Launch window opens 20 April 2018 NZT. https://bit.ly/2Iqrtpc  (https://t.co/5O75L5lStZ)

Video (https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/981305120896974848) 0:52

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 36 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/981614120301719553)

Vehicle checks almost complete, Team is really getting good at this now!

ЦитироватьКомпания Rocket Lab запланировала первый коммерческий запуск спутников на конец апреля
ВАШИНГТОН, 5 апреля. /ТАСС/. Частная американская компания Rocket Lab в конце апреля планирует осуществить первый полностью коммерческий запуск своей 17-метровой ракеты-носителя Electron с несколькими спутниками на борту. Об этом говорится в сообщении, опубликованном во вторник на сайте (https://www.rocketlabusa.com/news/updates/rocket-lab-to-launch-first-commercial-mission-this-month/) компании.
Несмотря на то, что Rocket Lab базируется в США, свои ракеты в космос она планирует отправлять с принадлежащей ей стартовой площадки в Новой Зеландии. 14-дневное окно для запуска откроется с 20 апреля. Ежедневно в течение этого периода у компании будет четыре часа, чтобы запустить ракету по нужной траектории для последующего вывода спутников на орбиту. "Имеющий лицензию на проведение запусков каждые 72 часа пусковой комплекс Rocket Lab - единственная частная стартовая площадка для орбитальных запусков", - отмечается в сообщении компании. Первая ступень Electron оснащена сразу девятью двигателями, работающими на жидком кислороде и керосине. Вторая ступень имеет лишь один двигатель. Максимальная нагрузка не превышает 227 кг.
Впервые ракета была запущена в мае 2017 года. Пуск прошел неудачно - она так и не смогла доставить груз на орбиту. Однако 20 января носитель смог вывести в космос сферу около метра в диаметре, покрытую 65 треугольными отражателями. После этого руководство компании заявило, что готово принимать заказы у частных операторов спутников.
В этот раз клиентами выступили сразу две компании. Spire Global хочет запустить два очередных микроспутника формата "кубсат" Lemur-2. С их помощью ведется сбор данных о погоде, а также отслеживаются передвижения кораблей. Кроме того, GeoOptics, еще одна фирма, работающая в сфере метеорологии, хочет расширить свою группировку аппаратов на орбите за счет спутника, построенного инженерами Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems.
К концу года Rocket Lab планирует запускать по одной ракете в месяц. Сами носители собираются в Калифорнии. По словам исполнительного директора компании Питера Бека, ее цель - закрепиться на рынке малых спутников.

Спойлер

Согласно опубликованным в феврале данным базирующейся в Атланте аэрокосмической компании SpaceWorks, число таких аппаратов, запущенных в 2017 году, превысило даже наиболее оптимистичные прогнозы, но теперь для развития данного направления нужны новые компании. 2017 год в этом плане стал рекордным - в космос с Земли отправились более 300 спутников весом от одного до 50 кг.

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ЦитироватьRocket Lab preps for first commercial satellite launch
April 6, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/04/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

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File photo of a test-firing of Rocket Lab's Rutherford engine. Credit: Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab's first full-up commercial launch is set for April 19, U.S. time, from the company's privately-operated launch base in New Zealand with three U.S.-owned satellites to collect weather data.

The next Electron launch will loft two satellites owned by Spire Global and one for GeoOptics. Both companies are based in California, and are competitors in the market to gather weather and climate information with commercial spacecraft.

Спойлер

The upcoming third flight of the company's commercially-developed Electron rocket will come after two test flights in May 2017 and in January. The maiden Electron launch fell short of orbit due to a ground tracking error that led safety officials to prematurely abort the flight, but the second mission in January successfully reached orbit.

As a bonus on the January test flight, the Electron deployed four satellites in orbit — two commercial CubeSats for Spire's weather data and ship tracking fleet, a CubeSat for Planet's Earth-imaging constellation and a Rocket Lab-owned reflective geodesic sphere named Humanity Star.

Rocket Lab nicknamed the first two Electron flights "It's a Test" and "Still Testing." Signifying Rocket Lab's orientation toward commercial operations, the next mission has been christened "It's Business Time."

The 14-day launch period opens at April 19 at 8:30 p.m. EDT (0030 GMT; 12:30 p.m. New Zealand time on April 20). There is a four-hour launch window available each day.

The Electron rocket will take off from Rocket Lab's space base on Mahia Peninsula, located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island.

"'It's Business Time' represents the shift to responsive space," said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO. "We always set out to create a vehicle and launch site that could offer the world's most frequent launch capability and we're achieving that in record time."

"Rocket Lab is the only small launch provider that has reached orbit and delivered on promises to open access to space for small satellites," he said in a statement. "We can have payloads on orbit every 72 hours and our rapidly expanding manifest shows this is frequency is critical for the small satellite market."

The two-stage Electron rocket stands around 55 feet (17 meters) tall with a diameter around 3.9 feet (1.2 meters). It's all black carbon composite structure contains kerosene and liquid oxygen tanks that power 10 Rutherford engines — nine on the first stage and one on the second stage — developed in-house by Rocket Lab.

For comparison, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket stands nearly 230 feet (70 meters) tall. The space shuttle's orange external fuel tank measured nearly 28 feet (8.4 meters) in diameter.

But Rocket Lab says the Electron is perfectly sized to haul small satellites into orbit on dedicated, relatively low-cost missions. Officials say that will answer needs of commercial satellite operators, universities and governments trying to deploy payloads on shoestring budgets.

The Electron booster can carry up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) to a polar orbit around 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth. The rocket's capacity to a lower-altitude orbit is up to 500 pounds (225 kilograms), according to Rocket Lab.

The rocket company, founded in New Zealand and headquartered in Southern California, says it can launch an Electron rocket for less than $5 million per flight.

Spire's two Lemur 2 CubeSats, each weighing around 10 pounds (less than 5 kilograms), launching on the next Electron rocket will track ships and collect environmental data. The GeoOptics CICERO satellite on the third Electron launch is built on an expanded CubeSat design.

The Spire and GeoOptics payloads will measure GPS satellite navigation signals passed through Earth's atmosphere to derive information about weather and climate.

A Rocket Lab spokesperson said a Curie kick stage will fly with the Spire and GeoOptics payloads. The extra propulsion module, which made its successful debut during the January test flight, will place the CubeSats at their intended altitude a few hundred miles above Earth, after the Electron rocket puts them in an initial parking orbit.

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The mission patch for Rocket Lab's third Electron launch. Credit: Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab's fourth Electron launch is expected to carry at least 10 CubeSats to orbit for NASA and U.S. research institutions. That flight could take off from New Zealand in the next couple of months.

In a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" event earlier this week, Beck said he expects Rocket Lab to begin generating positive cash flow by the Electron rocket's fifth flight, now that the launcher has finished its development phase.

Beck wrote that Rocket Lab aims to launch once per month by the end of this year, then once every two weeks in 2019. Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 facility on Mahia Peninsula can eventually host launches as often as once every 72 hours, he said.

The company's focus now is on accelerating the Electron rocket's flight rate.

"Our goal from the outset was always to produce one vehicle very well that could be produced on a mass scale," Beck wrote. "It's the only way to achieve the launch frequency the market needs. We're pumping out around one Electron a month at the moment. There will always be continual innovation in all areas of Rocket Lab."

There are no plans to make the Electron reusable or develop a bigger launcher.

"Reusability doesn't scale well for small rockets," Beck wrote. "No plans for an Electron Heavy. With Electron's lift capability, we could have launched the vast majority of spacecraft launched last year. If we doubled the potential payload mass, we could have only launched an additional 2 percent of the market. Doesn't stack up."

Rocket Lab plans to webcast the upcoming mission live online, but Beck said the company — which is based in the United States and falls under U.S. government regulations — is evaluating NOAA's new requirement for commercial rocket companies to obtain a license to broadcast live views from cameras on the launcher.

SpaceX said NOAA restrictions kept it from providing live on-board video during a commercial Falcon 9 launch March 30. NOAA has regulatory authority over commercial Earth-imaging from space, and is tasked with ensuring satellite-based cameras do not record sensitive activities like military deployments.

But live "rocketcam" views provided by launch companies like SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and Rocket Lab are low-resolution, and generally have engines or other rocket components in the foreground.

NOAA did not require licenses before numerous previous launches that beamed live video from space, but the agency recently ruled that rocket-mounted cameras constitute "remote sensing systems," and should be subject to the law, which explicitly exempts hand-held cameras like those used by astronauts.

Government missions are not subject to the NOAA rule.

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 15 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/983801059947626496)

The first #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash) mission patch arrived today. Looking good! They'll be up in the online store after launch.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162487.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 5 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/984339753284747265)

It's Business Time on the pad. Wet dress in the coming days.
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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186329.jpg)Deimos Imaging‏ @deimosimaging (https://twitter.com/deimosimaging) 11 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/deimosimaging/status/984763952432406528)

This is how #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash) looked like from the orbit of #DEIMOS2 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DEIMOS2?src=hash) a few hours ago! The image was captured on April 12 at 23:26 (UTC)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162688.jpg)

ЦитироватьNEW ZEALAND (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=1)
Rocket Lab fuelling issue prompts emergency service response
16 Apr, 2018 12:06am

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/232150.jpg)
A fuelling issue at a Rocket Lab dress rehearsal resulted in a emergency services response on Sunday, Rocket Lab chief executive says. Photo / Geoff Dale
NZ Herald

A fuelling issue at a Rocket Lab dress rehearsal has resulted in a emergency services response and activity on their landing pad on Mahia Peninsula suspended for the day.

Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck said the company "experienced a minor fuelling issue on the pad today during a wet dress rehearsal" on Sunday.

Спойлер

"Our team is working through the data to ascertain the root cause. As per standard procedure, Fire and Emergency New Zealand is on site as a precautionary measure while the team closes out pad activities for the day."

Fire Emergency New Zealand have been approched for comment.

Earlier in the month Rocket Lab confirmed a 14-day window for its first fully commercial launch.

The US company, which launches from the Mahia Peninsula, confirmed on Wednesday an Electron satellite launch would have a window between April 20 and May 3.

It would deliver payload for customers Spire Global and GeoOptics Inc into orbit.

"It's Business Time represents the shift to responsive space," Beck said.

"We always set out to create a vehicle and launch site that could offer the world's most frequent launch capability and we're achieving that in record time."

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ЦитироватьHYDROPAC 1454/2018 (29,76) 

SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06, DNC 29.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 200030Z APR
   TO 030430Z MAY IN AREA BOUND BY
   55-21S 179-06E, 55-12S 179-18W,
   62-33S 176-48W, 62-42S 178-51W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 030530Z MAY 18.

( 141854Z APR 2018 )


HYDROPAC 1455/2018 (76)

WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 0030Z TO 0430Z DAILY
   20 APR THRU 03 MAY:
   A. ROCKET LAUNCHING IN AREA BETWEEN
   39-11.4S 39-48.0S AND 177-47.0E 178-00.0E.
   B. SPACE DEBRIS IN AREA BOUND BY
   43-54.0S 178-03.0E, 43-51.0S 178-45.0E,
   47-21.0S 179-42.0E, 47-27.0S 178-12.0E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 030530Z MAY 18.

( 141904Z APR 2018 )

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 35 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/986252799599042561)

This week during wet dress rehearsal the team saw some unusual behavior with a motor controller. With only days between rehearsal & window, we want a little extra time to fully review data, so have decided to roll to the next slot in a few weeks. Stay tuned!
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162511.jpg)

34 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/986253002825609218)

The beauty of having our own pad means controlling our own windows!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 33 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/986253040352051200)

This is why we do wet dress

29 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/986254290711805953)

Team just need time to look at it. No point in taking risks when its business time.

ЦитироватьRocket Lab moves 'It's Business Time' launch window
Apr 17, 2018

Rocket Lab will move the 'It's Business Time' launch, scheduled between 20 April – 3 May, to the next available launch window in coming weeks. The shift comes after pad team identified some unusual motor controller behavior during a wet dress rehearsal carried out this week. With just days between rehearsal and window opening, the call to move to the window is a conservative one made to allow the team additional time to review data.

Rocket Lab is able to operate with schedule flexibility and move into different windows as a result of operating its own private orbital launch site.

The new launch window is due to open in the coming weeks with defined dates to be confirmed soon.

ЦитироватьRocket Lab postpones first commercial launch after issue during fueling test
April 17, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/04/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144329.jpg)
Rocket Lab's third two-stage Electron rocket on its launch pad in New Zealand last week in advance of a fueling test. Credit: Rocket Lab/Peter Beck

Rocket Lab said Tuesday it will push back the first commercial launch of its light-class Electron rocket from New Zealand by a few weeks to address a problem uncovered during a recent fueling test.

The company announced the launch slip on Twitter, saying that the Rocket Lab launch team "saw some unusual behavior with a motor controller" during a wet dress rehearsal, a test often employed by launch providers to practice countdown procedures and verify that rocket and ground systems are ready for liftoff.

"With only days between rehearsal & window, we want a little extra time to fully review data, so have decided to roll to the next slot in a few weeks. Stay tuned!" Rocket Lab tweeted.

The launch was expected during a two-week window beginning April 19, U.S. time.

The New Zealand Herald reported Monday that Rocket Lab experienced a "minor fueling issue" during the wet dress rehearsal Sunday, attributing the information to Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck. The newspaper reported emergency responders were on the scene at the company's launch base on Mahia Peninsula, located on the eastern shore of New Zealand's North Island, but did not say if fire services were normally on-site during fueling and launch operations.

Спойлер

The upcoming launch, which Rocket Lab has christened "It's Business Time," will be first fully commercial flight by an Electron rocket. Rocket Lab's Electron launcher reached orbit for the first time in January, on its second test flight after a maiden mission fell short of orbit in May 2017 due to a ground tracking error that led safety officials to prematurely terminate the launch.

The Jan. 20 test flight placed four small satellites in orbit, but the mission's primary objective was to demonstrate the Electron's performance. The successful test flight led Rocket Lab officials to declare the launcher ready for commercial service, beginning with its next mission.

The Electron's third flight will deploy two CubeSats for Spire Global, and one nanosatellite for GeoOptics.

The Spire and GeoOptics payloads will measure GPS satellite navigation signals passed through Earth's atmosphere to derive information about weather and climate.

Rocket Lab's fourth launch will be dedicated to launching CubeSats sponsored by NASA and developed by U.S. research institutions.

The Electron booster can carry up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) to a polar orbit around 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth. The rocket's capacity to a lower-altitude orbit is up to 500 pounds (225 kilograms), according to Rocket Lab.

The rocket company, founded in New Zealand and headquartered in Southern California, says it can launch an Electron rocket for less than $5 million per flight.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьTechnical issue delays next Rocket Lab Electron launch
by Jeff Foust (http://spacenews.com/author/jeff-foust/) — April 17, 2018

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/155786.jpg)
Rocket Lab says its third Electron launch, called "It's Business Time," will be delayed a few weeks because of a problem detected in a recent wet dress rehearsal. Credit: Rocket Lab

COLORADO SPRINGS — Rocket Lab is postponing its next launch by a few weeks because of a technical problem, but the company says it is optimistic about its long-term prospects as demand for its small launch vehicle grows.

The company, headquartered in the United States but with launch operations in New Zealand, announced April 17 that it was postponing a launch of its Electron rocket scheduled for April 19 because of a problem detected in a wet dress rehearsal a few days earlier.

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In an interview during the 34th Space Symposium here, Rocket Lab Chief Executive Peter Beck said that engineers detected "unusual behavior" in a motor controller for one of the nine engines in its first stage. "We want to take some time to review that data," he said on the decision to delay the launch.

The next launch window for the mission is in about three weeks, he said. While Rocket Lab owns its own launch site on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula, he said the company has to work with third parties that provide range safety services when scheduling launches. That should also be enough time, he added to assess the problem and make any hardware changes to the vehicle.

Beck said there had been no other technical issues with the vehicle either during its assembly or the dress rehearsal. "It was super smooth," he said. "The team is starting to get into a groove."

The launch, dubbed "It's Business Time," will be the first commercial launch of the Electron after two test flights. The rocket is carrying two Lemur-2 cubesats for Spire, a company that operates a constellation of such satellites for collecting weather and ship-tracking data. It will also carry a satellite built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems for GeoOptics, a company that also is developing a constellation to collect weather data through GPS radio occultations.

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Rocket Lab is also gearing up for the next launch after that, which will carry a set of cubesats provided by NASA under a Venture Class Launch Services contract awarded in 2015. The cubesats were integrated last week at Rocket Lab's facility in California.

Beck said the company has worked well with NASA on that upcoming mission. "That Venture Class contracting vehicle that they put forward is just incredible," he said. "The oversight they've provided has been tremendously valuable for us."

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Rocket Lab plans to increase its launch rate this year to one launch a month, and then to one launch every two weeks in 2019. Beck said the company has seen strong interest from a variety of commercial and government customers, and expects to announce new launch contracts in the next few weeks.

That increased launch rate is helping the company's bottom line. Beck said he estimated that Rocket Lab will be cash-flow neutral by the middle of this year. "The business is looking in very good shape."

Rocket Lab has grown significantly, with about 250 employees worldwide. The majority are in New Zealand, but Beck said its U.S. operations are ramping up. That includes the hire earlier this month of Adam Spice as chief financial officer.

Beck sought to differentiate Rocket Lab's Electron with the growing number of small launch vehicles in various stages of development. "There's a lot of talk in this industry, a lot of promises, but we're the only one delivering payloads to orbit," he said. "There are a lot of companies out there and we wish them absolutely all the best, but it's a long way from a test fire to orbit."

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg)Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 17 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/998995887526367232)

Shane Fleming, Rocket Lab: fixed issue with motor controller son Electron that postponed launch last month. Shipping vehicle back to the launch site in the "coming weeks." #SpaceTechExpo (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceTechExpo?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 11 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1000043852563079168)

IT'S BUSINESS TIME. New 14-day launch window opens 23 June 2018, NZST. Bonus: We added more payload. Read more - https://bit.ly/2J4sjvQ  (https://t.co/dJlZAO2r75)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164460.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67676.jpg)Michael Sheetz‏Подлинная учетная запись @thesheetztweetz (https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz) 11 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1000043885941444608)

.@RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 14-day launch window for #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash): June 23–July 6, between 20:30–00:30 EST (00:30–04:30 UTC) each day.

Commercial payloads onboard:
2 @SpireGlobal (https://twitter.com/SpireGlobal) Lemur-2 satellites,
1 GeoOptics satellite,
1 IRVINE01 cubesat, and
HPS GmbH's drag sail tech demonstrator.

ЦитироватьRocket Lab confirms new 'It's Business Time' launch window and bolsters manifest

Huntington Beach, California. Friday 25 May 2018:

US orbital launch provider Rocket Lab has today confirmed the new launch window for the upcoming 'It's Business Time' mission. The 14-day launch window will open from 23 June to 6 July (NZST), with launch opportunities between 12:30 – 16:30 NZST daily (00:30 – 04:30 UTC).

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The launch window, originally slated for 20 April – 3 May 2018, was moved after unusual behavior was identified in a motor controller during a wet dress rehearsal. The team used the additional time to review data, identify the cause of the issue and put corrective measures in place. As the corrective measures were implemented, additional customers were added to the launch manifest, including IRVINE01, an educational payload from the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program (ICSP), and NABEO, a drag sail technology demonstrator designed and built by High Performance Space Structure Systems GmBH. Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation assisted with the pairing of NABEO with Electron as a candidate hosted technology demonstrator. These new payloads join existing 'It's Business Time' customers, including two Lemur-2 satellites from Spire Global and a GeoOptics Inc. satellite, built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems. The payloads will be launched to a 500km x 250km elliptical orbit at 85 degrees, before being circularized using Rocket Lab's Curie engine powered kick stage.

The NABEO drag sail is a system created to passively de-orbit inactive small satellites. The small sail is an ultra-thin membrane that can be coiled up tightly within a spacecraft and then deployed once the satellite reaches the end of its orbital lifespan. The reflective panels unfold to 2.5 square meters to increase the spacecraft's surface area, causing it to experience greater drag and pull the satellite back into the Earth's atmosphere, enabling much faster de-orbiting and reducing the amount of space junk in Low Earth Orbit.

The Irvine CubeSat STEM Program is a joint educational endeavor to teach, train and inspire the next generation of STEM professionals. It is comprised of students from six different American high schools (Beckman, Irvine, Northwood, Portola, University, and Woodbridge) in the city of Irvine , California, and powered by private sector donation through Irvine Public Schools Foundation. The students' main objective is to assemble, test and launch a nano-satellite into low Earth orbit. Approximately 150 students are involved in the program at any one time. Aboard IRVINE01 is a low-resolution camera that will take pictures of Venus, stars and other celestial objects. Data from these images can be used to calculate distances to stars and determine pointing accuracy and stability of the satellite. Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems is the payload integrator for IRVINE01 and worked closely with Rocket Lab USA to identify this opportunity for a rapid flight certification process.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck says the addition of new payloads to the mission manifest highlights Rocket Lab's ability to respond rapidly to customer demand in an ever-evolving small satellite market.

"Rocket Lab's responsive space model is crucial to support the exponential growth of the small satellite market. That a customer can come to us seeking a ride to orbit and we can have them booked to launch in weeks is unheard of in the launch business," he says.

"Small satellites are playing an increasingly important role in providing crucial services that benefit millions of people on Earth. Frequent access to orbit is the key to unlocking the potential for these satellites, and Rocket Lab is the only small launch provider currently enabling this access."

'It's Business Time' will launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, the world's only private orbital launch facility. The site is licensed to launch every 72 hours and offer's the widest range of orbital inclinations of any launch site on the globe.

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 9 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1000049666417930243)

.@RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) announces new launch date & added payloads for "It's Business Time" #Electron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Electron?src=hash) flight. New launch window opens on 23 June and extends to 6 July 2018, with daily launch opportunities occurring between 12:30-16:30 NZST (0030-0430 UTC). #NewZealand (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewZealand?src=hash)

https://tinyurl.com/y88ozwzn  (https://t.co/GWIxrpyiyK)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164464.jpg)

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ЦитироватьRocket Lab announces new launch date, payloads for "It's Business Time" Electron flight
written by Chris Gebhardt | May 25, 2018

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67676.jpg)Michael Sheetz‏Подлинная учетная запись @thesheetztweetz (https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz) 16 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1000044310723809280)

Additional payload IRVINE01 was built by students of 6 highschools in Irvine, CA with the objective of taking pictures of the planet Venus and stars with its onboard camera.

ЦитироватьRocket Lab updates launch window for first commercial mission
May 25, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144479.jpg)
File photo of an Electron rocket. Credit: Rocket Lab

After a two-month delay to resolve a technical concern, Rocket Lab plans to launch its first commercial mission as soon as June 22, U.S. time, from the company's rocket base in New Zealand, the company announced Friday.

Rocket Lab has four-hour launch windows available during a 14-day period extending from June 22 through July 5, U.S. time, with the daily window opening at 8:30 p.m. EDT. That translates to 0030 GMT or 12:30 p.m. New Zealand time the following day.

The company's third privately-developed Electron rocket, and its first fully commercial mission, was scheduled to lift off in April, but engineers discovered "unusual behavior" in a motor controller inside one of the booster's nine first stage engines, Rocket Lab officials said.

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"The team used the additional time to review data, identify the cause of the issue and put corrective measures in place," Rocket Lab said in a statement.

The Electron rocket will blast off from Rocket Lab's commercially-operated launch site on Mahia Peninsula on the eastern shore of New Zealand's North Island.

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Rocket Lab said it took advantage of the two-month delay to add two more payloads to the mission, which the company has christened "It's Business Time."

One of the new satellite passengers is Irvine01, a educational CubeSat built by California high school students. Irvine01 is part of the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program, comprising members from six high schools in Irvine, California.

The other payload added to the next Electron launch is a drag sail technology demonstrator named NABEO. Developed by High Performance Space Structure Systems in Germany, the NABEO small satellite mission will test a deployable membrane uses aerodynamic drag to slow down and de-orbit, a capability that could reduce space junk in low Earth orbit.

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Rocket Lab said Ecliptic Enterprises and Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems assisted with accommodating the Irvine01 and NABEO payloads on the Electron mission.

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO, said in a statement that the rapid accommodation of the two additional payloads demonstrates the company's responsiveness to changing launch demand.

"Rocket Lab's responsive space model is crucial to support the exponential growth of the small satellite market," Beck said. "That a customer can come to us seeking a ride to orbit and we can have them booked to launch in weeks is unheard of in the launch business."

"Small satellites are playing an increasingly important role in providing crucial services that benefit millions of people on Earth. Frequent access to orbit is the key to unlocking the potential for these satellites, and Rocket Lab is the only small launch provider currently enabling this access."

Rocket Lab's Electron launcher reached orbit for the first time in January, on its second test flight after a maiden mission fell short of orbit in May 2017 due to a ground tracking error that led safety officials to prematurely terminate the launch.

The Jan. 20 test flight placed four small satellites in orbit, but the mission's primary objective was to demonstrate the Electron's performance. The successful test flight led Rocket Lab officials to declare the launcher ready for commercial service, beginning with its next mission.

The Electron booster can carry up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) to a polar orbit around 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth. The rocket's capacity to a lower-altitude orbit is up to 500 pounds (225 kilograms), according to Rocket Lab.

The rocket company, founded in New Zealand and headquartered in Southern California, says it can launch an Electron rocket for less than $5 million per flight.

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The Irvine01 and NABEO payloads will join two CubeSats for Spire Global, and one nanosatellite for GeoOptics that were already booked on the upcoming Electron launch.

The Spire and GeoOptics payloads will measure GPS satellite navigation signals passed through Earth's atmosphere to derive information about weather and climate.

The flight profile for the launch next month will place the satellites into an orbit ranging between 155 miles and 310 miles (250 kilometers and 500 kilometers) at an inclination of 85 degrees, then the Electron's Curie kick stage will circularize the orbit, according to Rocket Lab.

Rocket Lab's fourth launch, set to follow soon after the next mission, will be dedicated to launching CubeSats sponsored by NASA and developed by U.S. research institutions.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 36 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1006995599206387712)

Electron is on the pad and gearing up for #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)! Launch window opens 12:30, 23 June NZST. (00:30 UTC).

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 40 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1006994936338702336)

It's Business Time, again

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165123.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 6 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1007466279416971264)

We're excited to launch NABEO to orbit on #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)! Built by HPS GmbH, the NABEO drag sail can be stored in a spacecraft, then deployed once the satellite reaches the end of its orbital life. The sail increases surface area and deorbits the sat faster = less space junk!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165226.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 11 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1007769888021082112)

Mission control and team humming, Fueling for wet dress.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165312.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 6 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1007848212412055554)

Perfect wet dress today from the team and Electron. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash) is ready for flight next week! #INeverWantToHoldAgain (https://twitter.com/hashtag/INeverWantToHoldAgain?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165320.jpg)

ЦитироватьNZZO

B3638/18 - DANGER AREA NZD023 (EAST AUCKLAND OCEANIC FIR) ACT. REF AIP SUP 59/18. SFC - FL999, 23 JUN 00:00 2018 UNTIL 23 JUN 05:05 2018. CREATED: 17 JUN 22:54 2018

ЦитироватьNZZC

B3639/18 - DANGER AREA NZD493 (MAHIA, HAWKE'S BAY) ACT.
REF AIP SUP 59/18. SFC - FL999, 23 JUN 00:00 2018 UNTIL 23 JUN 05:05 2018. CREATED:
17 JUN 22:56 2018
 
B3640/18 - TEMPO RESTRICTED AREA NZR494 (MAHIA, HAWKE'S BAY) ACT.
REF AIP SUP 59/18. SFC - 13500FT AMSL, 23 JUN 00:00 2018 UNTIL 23 JUN 05:05
2018. CREATED: 17 JUN 22:58 2018

Цитировать(https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-1/p50x50/31120685_2044003132479492_2479001234296537088_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=a025c4c27962ff7abf8524c4e6585bb9&oe=5BA4FB87) (https://www.facebook.com/RocketLabUSA/?ref=nf&hc_ref=ARTlz0Ii2e2meg0RWmnzCS18-dBP9mpq7WuoTPfX5mGlLwvLE-LfUhsNK2VFN8fb8uE) Rocket Lab (https://www.facebook.com/RocketLabUSA/?hc_ref=ARTeAHuugWMPk-ThKOdBPWB6WyYh-eRPuwaOrlIZzFl7N3EiCOPgmDlJaCfigAEu9IM&fref=nf)
15 июня в 22:05 (https://www.facebook.com/RocketLabUSA/photos/a.1518704015009409.1073741828.1513941712152306/2070225439857261/?type=3) · 

The team conducted a perfect wet dress rehearsal today at Launch Complex 1. #ItsBusinessTime (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/itsbusinesstime?source=feed_text) is ready for flight next week!
Launch window opens 12:30 pm, Saturday 23 June NZST (00:30 UTC).
The live webcast will be available approximately 15 minutes prior to launch at

www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream (http://www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream)


(https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/s480x480/35429386_2070225446523927_5091353424948101120_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=e25d2b53e47d1990038653e4a3f4b822&oe=5BA0F88F) (https://www.facebook.com/RocketLabUSA/photos/a.1518704015009409.1073741828.1513941712152306/2070225439857261/?type=3)

ЦитироватьHYDROPAC 2262/2018 (76)

WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS,
   0030Z TO 0430Z DAILY 23 JUN THRU 06 JUL:
   A. ROCKET LAUNCHING IN AREA BETWEEN
   39-11.4S 39-48.0S AND 177-47.0E 178-00.0E.
   B. SPACE DEBRIS IN AREA BOUND BY
   43-54.0S 178-03.0E, 43-51.0S 178-45.0E,
   47-21.0S 179-42.0E, 47-27.0S 178-12.0E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 060530Z JUL 18.

( 190906Z JUN 2018 )

HYDROPAC 2263/2018 (29,76)

SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06, DNC 29.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   230030Z JUN TO 060430Z JUL
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   55-21S 179-06E, 55-12S 179-18W,
   62-33S 176-48W, 62-42S 178-51W.
2. CANCEL THIS 060530Z JUL 18.

( 190925Z JUN 2018 )

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 43 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1009203455519481856)

The team is ready. Electron is primed. T-3 days. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash). Another stunning shot from launch team member @Kieran__Fanning (https://twitter.com/Kieran__Fanning)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165526.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 11 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1009925164937588736)

T-1 day. Electron is ready. Team is ready. Weather is looking good. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

Launch window opens 12:30 pm, 23 June NZT (00:30 UTC)

Livestream at http://www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream  (https://t.co/RyD0mD6yVf), on our YouTube channel & http://www.facebook.com/RocketLabUSA  (https://t.co/zOXHRnr5VU). Webcast begins approx 20 mins before target T-0

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165639.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1010068881564581889)

#ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash) is on the pad, cleared for flight and we are currently "go" for an attempt tomorrow.

ЦитироватьMetService on site for planned Rocket Lab launch

Friday, 22 June 2018, 2:33 pm
Press Release: MetService (http://info.scoop.co.nz/MetService)

22 June 2018


A good winter's day in-store for the team and spectators

Locals, spectators and the team at Rocket Lab should experience some settled weather and sunshine on Saturday as the company prepares for its second orbital launch off the Mahia Peninsula.

MetService are the official weather consultants to Rocket Lab, and have an expert meteorologist on site, easily accessible for up-to-the-minute advice, given the complexity of this launch.

"Weather is such a critical component of this activity which is why we're here," says Expert Meteorologist Mark Schwarz. "Close consideration of not only the surface conditions but also the upper atmosphere play an important role in the launch."

As the official Rocket Lab forecaster, Mark is currently at Mahia Peninsula providing launch forecasts to the team dealing with critical factors such as wind at a very high altitude, icing, turbulence and potential cloud cover.

"The weather outlook for Mahia on Saturday is looking like sunshine which is encouraging for the potential launch. The ridge of high pressure pushing over New Zealand from the Tasman Sea gives us this window of opportunity," says Schwarz.

"A good winter's day is in store with light winds turning northwesterly as the day progresses and temperatures reach about 14C."

MetService have been onsite with Rocket Lab since its first launch.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186329.jpg)Deimos Imaging‏ @deimosimaging (https://twitter.com/deimosimaging) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/deimosimaging/status/1010082048785244161)

#DEIMOS2 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DEIMOS2?src=hash) caught @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab)'s launch complex at Mahia Peninsula peeking out from beneath the clouds just a few hours ago! Best of luck for the launch (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)#Electron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Electron?src=hash) #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165685.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1010193861057146880)

ARTICLE: Rocket Lab set for first operational Electron launch with five payload elements -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/06/rocketlab-operational-electron-launch-five-payload/ ... (https://t.co/q6AbtexZPI)

- by Chris Gebhardt (@ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF))

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165709.jpg)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165711.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165710.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165712.jpg)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184821.jpg)Dave Dickinson‏ @Astroguyz (https://twitter.com/Astroguyz) 33 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Astroguyz/status/1010235832899461121)

Huh: high interest satellite for satspotters launching tonite with @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab)'s #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash) - DeorbitSail/NABEO: http://www.hps-gmbh.com/en/portfolio/subsystems/deployable-dragsails-adeo/ ... (https://t.co/AajiKInVzF) Will deploy a 2.5^2 metre square dragsail once in LEO, ...

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165729.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 10 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/%20RocketLab/status/1010247318396796928)

Welcome to launch day! We're currently targeting liftoff no earlier than 12:50 pm NZST (00:50 UTC). Live webcast starts approx 20 mins prior to target T-0 at

http://www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream  (https://t.co/RyD0mD6yVf)

#ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)
#Electron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Electron?src=hash)

ЦитироватьCubeSats set to ride on Rocket Lab's first commercial launch
June 22, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/06/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144614.jpg)
Rocket Lab's Electron rocket is set for liftoff fr om New Zealand on Friday. Credit: Rocket Lab

Five small satellites, including one built by high school students in Southern California, are awaiting launch Friday fr om New Zealand aboard the first commercial flight of Rocket Lab's Electron booster.

The U.S.-New Zealand launch company plans liftoff of the two-stage rocket during a four-hour window opening at 8:30 p.m. EDT Friday (0030 GMT; 12:30 p.m. New Zealand time Saturday).

"We're currently green all around the board," said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO. "We're looking good for weather."

Спойлер

The satellites stowed atop the 55-foot-tall (17-meter) rocket will gather weather data, track maritime traffic, test a drag sail device for de-orbiting space junk, and embark on a mission of education.

Sized to haul up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) into a 310-mile-high (500-kilometer) polar orbit, the privately-developed Electron rocket was conceived to provide dedicated rides to space for lightweight payloads which currently must ride piggyback on bigger rockets, often forcing satellite owners to make compromises on orbital parameters and schedule.

With a launch base on New Zealand's North Island, a control center and manufacturing base in Auckland, and corporate headquarters and engine factory in Huntington Beach, California, Rocket Lab says it can offer customers a dedicated launch for as little as $4.9 million, a fraction of the price of larger, oversized boosters currently flying.

Rocket Lab is one of several companies competing in the light launch market. Virgin Orbit, Firefly Aerospace, and other launcher developers are still designing and testing their vehicles, making Rocket Lab the first of the group to announce the start of commercial operations.

"It's a really important for launch for us, but also for the industry," Beck said in an interview Thursday. "It symbolizes the beginning of this long-awaited commercial regular service to orbit for spacecraft.

"There's a lot of excitement and talk about it, but it's nice to really have it beginning to be done," he told Spaceflight Now. "There's so many spacecraft on the shelf, and with this mission, we're at the beginning of wh ere we can now provide a service to all these spacecraft that have been getting stuck, from here on."

The upcoming launch will be the third flight of Rocket Lab's Electron booster, following two test flights in May 2017 and in January.

The May 2017 mission, which Rocket Lab christened "It's a Test," reached space but fell short of the velocity needed to reach orbit when range safety officials terminated the mission due to a ground tracking error. On Jan. 20 (U.S. time), the second Electron mission — dubbed "Still Testing" — placed a package of small satellites into orbit.

The success in January prompted Rocket Lab officials to proceed with the start of commercial service with the third Electron launch, named "It's Business Time."

One of the payloads aboard the Electron launch in January was a geodesic sphere built and owned by Rocket Lab. Designed for to reflect sunlight to make it visible from the ground, the 3-foot (1-meter) sphere — resembling a disco ball and named Humanity Star — re-entered Earth's atmosphere after about two months.

Rocket Lab did not announce the presence of the Humanity Star satellite on the January launch until after it was deployed in orbit. With the start of commercial service, no such surprises are expected on the next mission.

"It seems like we've developed a reputation for new things and surprises, but there are no particular surprises on this launch," Beck said. "We're running the kick stage once again for this particular flight, but the vehicle is basically identical to the last flight."

The Curie kick stage also debuted on the January mission and went unannounced until after the successful demonstration. The kick stage burns a non-toxic "green" monopropellant. A company spokesperson said earlier this year that details about the make-up of the propellant are "commercially sensitive."

The lower two stages of the Electron rocket consume a mix of kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants.

Rocket Lab says the kick stage allows Electron flights to place multiple satellites into different orbits, using the Curie engine's reignition capability to adjust inclination and altitude. That will benefit customers flying different types of payloads on the same Electron mission, with the kick stage maneuvering to different orbits to drop off each satellite group.

The first commercial Electron flight was supposed to occur in late April, but managers grounded the launcher after the ground team noticed "unusual behavior" in a DC motor controller driving turbopumps on the rocket's first stage.

"We're abundantly cautious around here, so we saw that behavior, and we didn't want to fly until we really understood what that was," Beck said. "It turned out to not be a hardware issue. It was completely a process issue with production.

"We took our time to really drill down and make sure we fully undersood the cause because from here on out, we're looking at a very high clip of manufacturing and launch for the rest of the year," he said. "The last thing we want to do is interrupt our manufacturing and launch flow with any kind of unresolved issue."

By the end of the year, Rocket Lab aims to achieve a launch cadence of one flight per month.

Rocket Lab took advantage of the two-month delay to add two more payloads to the mission.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144616.jpg)
A model of the drag sail to be demonstrated on the NABEO spacecraft. Credit: Rocket Lab

One of the new satellite passengers is Irvine01, a educational CubeSat built by California high school students. Irvine01 is part of the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program, comprising members from six high schools in Irvine, California.

The other payload added to the next Electron launch is a drag sail technology demonstrator named NABEO. Developed by High Performance Space Structure Systems in Germany, the NABEO small satellite mission will test a deployable 27-square-foot (2.5-square-meter) membrane using aerodynamic drag to slow down and de-orbit, a capability that could reduce space junk in low Earth orbit.

Rocket Lab said Ecliptic Enterprises and Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems assisted with accommodating the Irvine01 and NABEO payloads on the Electron mission.

The Irvine01 and NABEO satellites joined two CubeSats for Spire Global, and one nanosatellite for GeoOptics that were already booked on the Electron launch. The Spire and GeoOptics payloads will measure GPS satellite navigation signals passed through Earth's atmosphere to derive information about weather and climate.

According to Beck, automated analysis tools and faster turnarounds in licensing and regulatory approvals made the late accommodation of Irvine01 and NABEO nanosatellites possible.

"Rocket Lab is a third about the rocket, a third about regulatory, and a third about infrastructure," Beck said. "While the rocket is always the exciting bit that everybody gravitates to, actually the other two pieces here are equally important if we really want to move the needle on the space industry."

"Usually you talk about launch minus so many months to manifest a payload," he said. "We've been working very closely with the regulatory authorities to put in place mechanisms wh ere we can do these kinds of things in a very quick way that satisfies all the regulatory constraints, but also developing tools for the launch vehicle for doing coupled loads analysis for adding new spacecraft

"So (we've been) automating some of those processes and building the tools so that we can really turn these payload quickly. That's the whole point of what we're trying to achieve — regular and reliable service to orbit. Unfortunately, it's nowhwere near as exciting as the rocket, but actually it's incredibly critical."

Because of its U.S. headquarters, Rocket Lab operates under U.S. regulatory authority, with the Federal Aviation Administration responsible for licensing the companies launch operations, despite the launch site's location in New Zealand. Other U.S. regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission, grant approvals for U.S.-owned satellites.

"We had a very short window," Beck said. "We had an opportunity to fly these two important payloads. We reached out to the regulators and said, 'Hey, look, we think these are important. Let's work together to get them on.' And the answer was, 'Yes, let's do that.'"

On Friday's mission, the Electron rocket will launch to the south from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1, located on Mahia Peninsula on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island.

Roaring into the sky with more than 41,000 pounds of thrust from nine Rutherford main engines, the all-black launcher will fire its first stage for around two-and-a-half minutes, then ignite its single-engine upper stage for a roughly six-and-a-half minute burn. The Electron will reach a preliminary orbit stretching between 155 miles and 310 miles (250-500 kilometers) above Earth, with an inclination of 85 degrees to the equator.

The Curie upper stage will separate and coast halfway around the planet before circularizing the orbit and releasing the mission's five payloads. Here is an overview of the launch sequence:

[/li]
• T+plus 00:00: Liftoff
• T+plus 02:42: First stage engine cutoff
• T+plus 02:45: First stage separation
• T+plus 02:48: Second stage ignition
• T+plus 03:06: Payload fairing separation
• T+plus 09:12: Electron reaches orbit
• T+plus 09:15: Second stage engine cutoff
• T+plus 09:20: Curie kick stage separation
• T+plus 51:01: Curie kick stage ignition
• T+plus 52:07: Curie kick stage engine cutoff
• T+plus 54:10: End of payload separation sequence
  

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьIt's Business Time Launch Livestream

Rocket Lab (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsWq7LZaizhIi-c-Yo_bcpw)

Запланировано на 23 июн. 2018 г.

Rocket Lab is currently targeting no earlier than 12:50 pm NZST (00:50 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOG-pQ4aJhE&t=50s) UTC) on Saturday 23 June for the launch of 'It's Business Time' from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia peninsula in New Zealand.

(https://forum.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/file/85241)

youtube.com/watch?v=vOG-pQ4aJhE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOG-pQ4aJhE)

ЦитироватьLive coverage: Electron rocket counting down to launch
June 22, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/06/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

06/22/2018 23:35 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab says liftoff of its Electron rocket from New Zealand is now targeted for 8:50 p.m. EDT Friday (0050 GMT; 12:50 p.m. New Zealand time Saturday). An embed of the company's live launch webcast is available on this page.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1010261550790164480)

Electron is vertical on the pad at Launch Complex 1. Mahia putting on a stunning day for launch. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

Video (https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/1010261550790164480)
или
https://video-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t42.9040-2/35835578_319862101883279_6069213462729326592_n.mp4?_nc_cat=0&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InN2ZV9zZCJ9&oh=9c0a834d93620a86d87ad07e19142a9a&oe=5B2D9D16 (https://video-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t42.9040-2/35835578_319862101883279_6069213462729326592_n.mp4?_nc_cat=0&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InN2ZV9zZCJ9&oh=9c0a834d93620a86d87ad07e19142a9a&oe=5B2D9D16)
(Video (https://video-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t42.9040-2/35835578_319862101883279_6069213462729326592_n.mp4?_nc_cat=0&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6InN2ZV9zZCJ9&oh=9c0a834d93620a86d87ad07e19142a9a&oe=5B2D9D16) 0:22)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186061.jpg)Spire‏ @SpireGlobal (https://twitter.com/SpireGlobal) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/SpireGlobal/status/1010270291673563136)

@RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab)'s Electron is vertical, and our #smallsats (https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsats?src=hash) are ready to fly! Watch it live, 5:50 PST https://buff.ly/2lrPGSA  (https://t.co/48ZeDCNsYC)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165730.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 20 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1010294751428513792)

Under 2hrs now. At this point, @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab)'s Launch Control teams should be stepping into LOX (Liquid Oxygen) loading of #Electron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Electron?src=hash). #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1010308974623764481)

T-1hr and counting. At this time, the New Zealand aviation authority will start advising pilots of the aerial launch hazard areas for today's launch of #Electron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Electron?src=hash) -- effectively closing airspace around the pad and the down-range flight trajectory. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 36 сек. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1010313173256138754)

LOX fill is underway. Currently targeting a T-0 of 14:27 NZST (02:27 UTC). We had a brief hold this morning while we waited for some vehicle components to warm up. It's a chilly day at LC1! (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125620.png)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1010333373938610176)

Electron looking frosty on the pad at LC-1 as it's filled with LOX. Currently at T-1 hour. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165747.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1010343336522072065)

Holding at T-23 minutes while we configure a down range telemetry asset. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1010354455340961792)

Looking like it will be an hour. Tracking dish on one of our remote sites.

Цитировать06/23/2018 06:30 Stephen Clark

An updated clock on Rocket Lab's webcast suggests the countdown is now ticking toward liftoff no earlier than 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT; 4:01 p.m. New Zealand time).

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1010366932103680000)

Confirming there is no target time at this moment yet.

ЦитироватьRocket LabПодлинная учетная запись @RocketLab

В ответ @WhaangaPeter

Still holding. Window remains open until 04:30 UTC

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1010367278452432898)

Still holding. Window remains open until 04:30 UTC

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1010367600868708357)

With @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) still holding at T-23mins, the count will have to resume by 04:07 UTC (00:07 EDT; 16:07 NZST) in order to make the window today.
#ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash) #Electron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Electron?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1010371117914247169)

At this time, the teams have 10 minutes left to resolve the issue and resume the count to make an end-of-window launch attempt. #Electron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Electron?src=hash) #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash) @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1010371979503861760)

Rocket Lab scrubs launch.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165756.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67530.jpg)Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1010372284698255360)

SCRUB. Today's countdown for Rocket Lab's Electron rocket in New Zealand has been called off due to a problem with a downrange tracking station. Officials have not set a date for a new launch attempt. https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/06/22/electron-its-business-time-mission-status-center/ ... (https://t.co/dUdOemjwac)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165757.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 3 мин.назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1010372711879618560)

Electron is healthy but we have not been able to resolve an issue with one of our down range tracking dishes in the Chatham Islands. Ironically this is also required for a solid live stream.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1010373135038853120)

To be clear, the team DID NOT say they would try again tomorrow. They said they would evaluate the weather over the next few days & determine a best option. That could be mean tomorrow. It might not. We'll wait & see. Until then, good night, all.
#Electron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Electron?src=hash) #ItsBussinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBussinessTime?src=hash)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab

Scrubbed for the day.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1010373260658270210)

Downrange ground station in the Chatham Islands has caused a SCRUB for the day. Evaluating weather options for upcoming days.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165759.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 47 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1010381159606378496)

No launch attempt tomorrow. Team is standing down due to weather. Meantime, crews are on their way to Chatham Islands with spare parts for the dish that caused today's scrub. Next attempt on Monday 25 June NZST, weather pending.

ЦитироватьRocket Lab Electron "It's Business Time" scrubbed launch

SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

Опубликовано: 22 июн. 2018 г.

Rocket Lab's Electron rocket first commercial launch, nicknamed "It's Business Time", was scrubbed due to technical reasons on 23 June 2018. According to Rocket Labs, next attempt will be "on Monday 25 June NZST, weather pending", from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand.

Credit:
Photos and videos courtesy of Rocket Lab

ЦитироватьGround antenna problem scrubs Rocket Lab's first commercial launch
June 23, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/06/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144624.jpg)
A view of the Electron rocket on its launch pad in New Zealand shortly after Rocket Lab scrubbed the launch attempt. Credit: Rocket Lab

Problems with a downrange tracking station kept Rocket Lab's Electron launcher on the ground in New Zealand Friday, U.S. time, and the company ordered a two-day delay to Sunday, allowing time to resolve the issues and wait for improved weather.

The next launch attempt is planned during a four-hour window opening at 8:30 p.m. EDT Sunday (0030 GMT; 12:30 p.m. New Zealand time Monday).

After waiting vehicle components to warm up on a chilly winter morning in New Zealand, the 55-foot-tall (17-meter) Electron rocket was loaded with a mixture of kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants Friday. But the launch team halted the countdown at T-minus 23 minutes, and officials eventually declared the launch attempt scrubbed after initially hoping to fix the downrange tracking station problems.

Rocket Lab employs a communications facility in the Chatham Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean, to relay data fr om the Electron during launch. A dish antenna at the site is supposed to track the Electron booster as it flies across the sky, a few minutes after blastoff from Rocket Lab's launch site on Mahia Peninsula, located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island.

Спойлер

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO, tweeted that the ground station is also required for a "solid live stream" of the launch, referencing the antenna's importance to capture on-board video and telemetry for distribution on the company's webcast.

Five satellites are packaged inside the Electron rocket's nose cone. A kick stage will place the payloads into polar orbit around 300 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth.

The CubeSats aboard the Electron rocket include two Lemur-2 nanosatellites — each about the size of a shoebox — for Spire Global, a San Francisco-based company which collects commercial weather data and tracks ship movements. There is also a small satellite for GeoOptics, another California-headquartered company, launching on top of the Electron rocket to begin its own commercial weather surveillance mission.

Originally set for April, Rocket Lab's first commercial mission was delayed two months after engineers noticed "unusual behavior" in a DC motor controller driving turbopumps on the rocket's first stage, according to Beck.

"We took our time to really drill down and make sure we fully understood the cause because from here on out, we're looking at a very high clip of manufacturing and launch for the rest of the year," he said in an interview earlier this week. "The last thing we want to do is interrupt our manufacturing and launch flow with any kind of unresolved issue."

By the end of the year, Rocket Lab aims to achieve a launch cadence of one flight per month.

The U.S.-New Zealand company's privately-developed Electron rocket has launched two times to date. It successfully reached orbit on the second launch in January, and Rocket Lab announced it would proceed into commercial operations with the third mission, which officials have nicknamed "It's Business Time."

Rocket Lab took advantage of the two-month delay to add two more payloads to the "It's Business Time" mission.

One of the new satellite passengers is Irvine01, a educational CubeSat built by California high school students. Irvine01 is part of the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program, comprising members from six high schools in Irvine, California.

The other payload added to the next Electron launch is a drag sail technology demonstrator named NABEO. Developed by High Performance Space Structure Systems in Germany, the NABEO small satellite mission will test a deployable 27-square-foot (2.5-square-meter) membrane using aerodynamic drag to slow down and de-orbit, a capability that could reduce space junk in low Earth orbit.

According to Beck, automated analysis tools and faster turnarounds in licensing and regulatory approvals made the late accommodation of Irvine01 and NABEO nanosatellites possible.

"Rocket Lab is a third about the rocket, a third about regulatory, and a third about infrastructure," Beck said. "While the rocket is always the exciting bit that everybody gravitates to, actually the other two pieces here are equally important if we really want to move the needle on the space industry."

"Usually, you talk about launch minus so many months to manifest a payload," he said. "We've been working very closely with the regulatory authorities to put in place mechanisms wh ere we can do these kinds of things in a very quick way that satisfies all the regulatory constraints, but also developing tools for the launch vehicle for doing coupled loads analysis for adding new spacecraft

"So (we've been) automating some of those processes and building the tools so that we can really turn these payload quickly. That's the whole point of what we're trying to achieve — regular and reliable service to orbit. Unfortunately, it's nowhwere near as exciting as the rocket, but actually it's incredibly critical."

Because of its U.S. headquarters, Rocket Lab operates under U.S. regulatory authority, with the Federal Aviation Administration responsible for licensing the companies launch operations, despite the launch site's location in New Zealand. Other U.S. regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission, grant approvals for U.S.-owned satellites.

"We had a very short window," Beck said. "We had an opportunity to fly these two important payloads. We reached out to the regulators and said, 'Hey, look, we think these are important. Let's work together to get them on.' And the answer was, 'Yes, let's do that.'"

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1010800293661904896)

Chatham's all fixed, livestream saved! Weather only low chance of lift off so we will wait for another day.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1010798687356792834)

It's Business Time launch update: The down range tracking dish is now up and running, but weather conditions for Monday 25 June NZST are unfavorable so no launch attempt tomorrow. Now targeting no earlier than 12:30 pm, Tuesday 26 June NZST (00:30 UTC) for launch

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1011058187833708546)

Forecast poor weather continues tomorrow, so we're going to take it as a rest day to give us wider windows later in the week. Currently targeting no earlier than 12:30 pm (00:30 UTC) Wednesday 27 June for launch.
#EverythingIsJustRightOnAWednesday (https://twitter.com/hashtag/EverythingIsJustRightOnAWednesday?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165521.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1011060849354477568)

New targeted launch date:
NZST: June 27, 12:30pm
UTC: June 27, 00:30
EDT: June 26, 8:30pm
PDT: June 26, 5:30pm

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 28 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1011361522897940480)

T-1 day. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash) Another stunning snap at Launch Complex 1 from @Kieran__Fanning (https://twitter.com/Kieran__Fanning)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165578.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186286.jpg)Kieran Fanning‏ @Kieran__Fanning (https://twitter.com/Kieran__Fanning) 10 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Kieran__Fanning/status/1011658850275954688)

"Flight, this is WSE on breakfast net. At this time I can confirm vehicle fill operations have begun"

#itscoffeetime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/itscoffeetime?src=hash) #rocketlab (https://twitter.com/hashtag/rocketlab?src=hash) #electron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/electron?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165621.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 10 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1011704684887699457)

Electron is vertical on the pad! Winds are high at LC-1, but forecast to ease closer to the window. Today's 4-hour launch window opens at 12:30 pm NZST (00:30 UTC). Livestream at http://www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream  (https://t.co/RyD0mD6yVf) . Webcast starts approx. 20 mins prior to target T-0.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165650.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1011715355243237376)

Weather slowly calming down. The team started the day in horizontal rain and high winds.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1011731523035205632)

T-0 set to 02:10 UTC, weather improving.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165649.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 26 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1011755675649634305)

Starting LOX fill.

Цитировать

youtube.com/watch?v=hHPtSfjoF8A (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHPtSfjoF8A)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 21 с. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1011789360323104768)

Looks like we did not totally resolve the controller from last attempt. Similar behaviour.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1011787184200749057)

The team has identified an issue with the motor controller, so we're scrubbing for the day to review data. Stay tuned for updates!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165671.jpg)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab's first commercial launch scrubbed again
June 27, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/06/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144621.jpg)
Rocket Lab's Electron rocket on its launch pad in New Zealand. Credit: Rocket Lab

The liftoff of a Rocket Lab Electron booster from New Zealand with five U.S.- and German-built nanosatellites was grounded Tuesday, U.S. time, after engineers identified a problem with a motor controller on the two-stage launcher.

Rocket Lab officials did not immediately set a new target launch date, as engineers examine the motor controller issue, an apparent recurrence of a problem encountered during a countdown rehearsal in April, according to Peter Beck, the company's founder and CEO.

Спойлер

Beck said in an interview last week that during a wet dress rehearsal in April, Rocket Lab's launch team noticed "unusual behavior" in a DC motor controller driving turbopumps on the rocket's first stage.

The Electron's Rutherford engines use electrically-powered turbopumps, not the gas-driven turbines used on other rockets. That makes the engines simpler and lighter, according to Rocket Lab.

Engineers studying the motor behavior concluded it was "not a hardware issue," Beck told Spaceflight Now last week. "It was completely a process issue with production."

Rocket Lab delayed the launch from April until June to investigate the motor controller problem.

"We took our time to really drill down and make sure we fully understood the cause because from here on out, we're looking at a very high clip of manufacturing and launch for the rest of the year," Beck said. "The last thing we want to do is interrupt our manufacturing and launch flow with any kind of unresolved issue."

By the end of the year, Rocket Lab aims to achieve a launch cadence of one flight per month.

But the glitch observed during Tuesday's countdown (Wednesday in New Zealand) suggests Rocket Lab has more work to do on the motor controller.

Rocket Lab's privately-developed, 55-foot-tall (17-meter) Electron rocket is sized to carry up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) into a 310-mile-high (500-kilometer) orbit for less than $5 million. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, with a launch base on New Zealand's North Island, Rocket Lab aims to carve a niche in the launch market carrying lightweight CubeSats and microsatellites into orbit.

After reaching orbit in January on its second test flight, Rocket Lab is proceeding into commercial operations with the third Electron launch, which is nicknamed "It's Business Time."

A launch attempt on Friday, U.S. time, was scrubbed due to a problem with a downrange tracking station in the Chatham Islands. Rocket Lab bypassed launch opportunities over the following three days due to poor weather, then tried again Tuesday before engineers identified the motor controller issue.

Rocket Lab has four-hour launch windows available each day through July 5, U.S. time (July 6 in New Zealand).

Two of satellites stowed inside the nose of the Electron rocket are owned by Spire Global, a San Francisco-based company which builds and operates a fleet of CubeSats collecting weather data and tracking maritime traffic. Another California-based company, GeoOptics, is also launching a small satellite for its own commercial weather monitoring constellation.

The Electron rocket will also launch a German-built craft to test an aerodynamic drag sail that could be used to de-orbit future satellites and help clear space junk out of orbit. A CubeSat named Irvine01 built by Southern California high school students is also set for liftoff on the Electron rocket.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 32 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1012077664822128640)

No launch attempt today. The team is taking the day to review data from yesterday's motor controller issue. New target T-0 is being assessed.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1012210728663519233)

The team is standing down from this launch window to take a closer look at the motor controller behavior again. We're still not happy with the data, and as we all know, the only metric that counts in the launch business is 100% mission success.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1012219566317944832)

Will be back on the pad shortly.
#OnlyPerfectIsGoodEnough (https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnlyPerfectIsGoodEnough?src=hash)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab's first commercial launch grounded to fix nagging technical issue
June 28, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/06/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144622.jpg)
Credit: Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab will bypass its current launch window to resolve a recurring problem with a motor controller on the company's light-class Electron rocket, officials said Thursday, likely postponing its first commercial satellite launch at least a few weeks.

The indefinite delay is the second time the U.S.-New Zealand launch company, which is on the cusp of commencing commercial launch services after two test flights, has given up on a two-week launch window to examine the motor controller issue.

Спойлер

"The team is standing down from this launch window to take a closer look at the motor controller behavior again. We're still not happy with the data, and as we all know, the only metric that counts in the launch business is 100% mission success," Rocket Lab tweeted Thursday.

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO, tweeted that the mission "will be back on the pad shortly" at the company's launch site at Mahia Peninsula, located on New Zealand's North Island.

A motor controller for one of the Electron rocket's engines displayed unusual behavior during a countdown rehearsal in April. Rocket Lab called off plans to launch the Electron rocket that month to study the issue, before proceeding with a fresh two-week launch window which opened June 22, U.S. time.

The launch attempt June 22 (June 23 in New Zealand) was scrubbed due to a problem with a downrange tracking station in the Chatham Islands. Rocket Lab skipped launch opportunities over the following three days due to poor weather, then tried again Tuesday, U.S. time, before engineers identified the motor controller issue.

"The motor controller behavior was similar to that previously identified during wet dress rehearsal operations in April," Rocket Lab said in a statement. "This issue was analyzed and corrective measures in place, however a similar issue presented during (Tuesday's) pre-launch operational checks."

Rocket Lab officials said all systems on the rocket performed normally during a countdown rehearsal earlier this month. The successful countdown test apparently gave the launch team confidence to proceed with a launch this month.

"A motor controller is a device that governs commands given to selected hardware and software systems throughout the launch vehicle," Rocket Lab said in a statement.

"Our test program was about making it to orbit and deploying our first customer satellites," Beck said. "Having achieved that and moved into commercial operations, mission assurance is our focus for every customer flying on Electron.

"There's only one measure that matters in the launch industry and that's 100 percent mission success," Beck said in a statement. "We'll take some time to review the data and tweak whatever we need to ahead of a new launch window to make sure we achieve that."

Before the opening of this month's launch window, Beck said in an interview that engineers concluded the motor controller issue identified in April was "not a hardware issue," but a "process issue with production."

Rocket Lab's next launch is set to be the third flight of the company's privately-developed 55-foot-tall (17-meter) Electron rocket, a kerosene-fueled, two-stage launcher sized to lift nanosatellites and microsatellites into orbit for less than $5 million per mission.

The first Electron launch in May 2017 fell short of orbit due to a ground tracking error, which caused safety officials to prematurely terminate the mission. The second test flight in January successfully placed several small spacecraft in orbit, prompting Rocket Lab to declare the start of commercial service with the third launch, nicknamed "It's Business Time."

Two of satellites awaiting launch on the next Electron rocket are owned by Spire Global, a San Francisco-based company which builds and operates a fleet of CubeSats collecting weather data and tracking maritime traffic. Another California-based company, GeoOptics, is also launching a small satellite for its own commercial weather monitoring constellation.

The Electron rocket will also launch a German-built craft to test an aerodynamic drag sail that could be used to de-orbit future satellites and help clear space junk out of orbit. A CubeSat named Irvine01 built by Southern California high school students is also set for liftoff on the Electron rocket.

Before the latest delay, Beck said Rocket Lab aims to ramp up the Electron launch rate to around one flight per month by the end of the year. Rocket stages and payloads for the fourth Electron launch are nearing the end of their test and assembly campaigns, in preparation for liftoff on a mission contracted by NASA with multiple U.S.-owned experimental CubeSats.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьAug 06, 2018

Rocket Lab to launch It's Business Time and ELaNa XIX missions weeks apart

Rocket Lab back to the pad with rapid, consecutive launches

Rocket Lab to launch It's Business Time and ELaNa XIX missions weeks apart

Rocket Lab (http://www.rocketlabusa.com/), a US orbital launch provider for the small satellite industry, has confirmed it will launch two Electron rockets just weeks apart in late 2018.

Rocket Lab's It's Business Time mission will launch in November, with the ELaNa XIX mission for NASA to follow soon after in December. Both missions will launch from Rocket Lab's private orbital launch pad in New Zealand, Launch Complex-1.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck, says the speedy turnaround between launches is possible thanks to designing the Electron rocket for rapid manufacture, as well as Launch Complex-1's ability to process and launch vehicles quickly.

"This year our team focused on scaling up production to churn out Electron rockets at a rate of one per month. Now that we're hitting that production rate, we're working to get them launched at the same frequency by the end of this year, and increasing cadence into 2019," he said.

"It's an incredibly exciting time for the small satellite industry. Everyone on the planet will benefit from easier access to orbit in terms of innovation, research and exploration, and we're excited to be the team enabling that."

Rocket Lab stood down from an earlier launch window for It's Business Time in June 2018, after unusual behavior was identified in a motor controller during pre-launch operations. Following analysis, the motor controllers have been modified and undergone new qualification testing ahead of the next launch.

It's Business Time's manifest includes IRVINE01, an educational payload from the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program (ICSP), and NABEO, a drag sail technology demonstrator designed and built by High Performance Space Structure Systems GmBH and manifested as a hosted payload with support from Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation. Spire Global also has two Lemur-2 satellites on board, and a GeoOptics Inc. satellite, built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, rounds out the mission.

...

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 26 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1026483085381169154)

ARTICLE: Rocket Lab to return in November and immediately follow up with NASA launch in December -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/08/rocket-lab-return-november-follow-nasa-launch/ ... (https://t.co/gJD7xOV1Yh)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/166952.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 10 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1042892904677629952)

A great 2nd stage test ahead of #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash) launch. All systems performing perfectly. The stage now heads down to the launch site for the November launch.

Video (https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/1042892904677629952) (0:22)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 12:58 (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1047214257593507840) - 2 окт. 2018 г.

LC-1 is ramping up for launch operations. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash) in early November.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/170656.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 6 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1054541637475479552)

Another @SpireGlobal (https://twitter.com/SpireGlobal) Lemur-2 successfully integrated for #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)! We've got two of these birds tucked into Maxwell dispensers for launch on the next Electron flight in November.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/171638.jpg)

Цитировать#ItsBusinessTime is on the pad

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/171959.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 22 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1059509491899674624)

We're so excited to have #Irvine01 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Irvine01?src=hash) on It's Business Time! This small but mighty CubeSat was built by high school students in the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program. Building, testing, and controlling a solar-powered satellite is invaluable experience for budding space careers!
#NewSpace (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewSpace?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172113.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 7 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1059740136617926657)

Today our team completed the dress rehearsal for It's Business Time. How good does this LOX-filled Electron look on the pad at LC-1? Launch window opens 11 Nov NZDT.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172166.jpg)

ЦитироватьHYDROPAC 4006/2018 (29,76)

SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06, DNC 29.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   110300Z TO 250700Z NOV IN AREA BOUND BY
   55-21S 179-06E, 55-12S 179-18W,
   62-33S 176-48W, 62-42S 178-51W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 250800Z NOV 18.

( 060751Z NOV 2018 )


HYDROPAC 4007/2018 (76)

WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   0300Z TO 0700Z DAILY 11 THRU 25 NOV
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   39-11.24S 177-47-00E, 39-11.24S 178-00.00E,
   39-51.00S 178-00.00E, 39-51.00S 177-47.00E.
2. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   0300Z TO 0700Z DAILY 11 THRU 25 NOV
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   43-51.00S 177-30.00E, 43-45.00S 179-00.00E,
   47-20.00S 179-48.00E, 47-26.40S 178-00.00E.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 250800Z NOV 18.

( 060813Z NOV 2018 )

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 7 нояб. (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1060074460424761344)

L-4 days. Range is ready. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172208.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 21:18 (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1060763524673232896) - 8 нояб. 2018 г.

At this stage, we are go for launch in T-46 hours.

ЦитироватьLive coverage: Rocket Lab ready for first commercial satellite launch
November 10, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/11/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

11/10/2018 21:48 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab's first operational launch is set for takeoff from Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand during a four-hour window opening at 10 p.m. EST Saturday (0300 GMT Sunday). The Electron rocket will carry six CubeSats and a tech demo payload into orbit for customers in the United States, Australia, and Germany.

Спойлер

The two-stage, 55-foot-tall (17-meter) rocket will blast off from Launch Complex 1, Rocket Lab's privately-owned spaceport on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island.

The commercial launcher is carrying seven payloads -- six that will deploy in orbit and another that will remain attached to the Electron's upper stage.

It's first Electron launch since Rocket Lab declared the start of commercial service. The company launched two Electron test flights, with an inaugural launch in May 2017 that fell short of orbit, and a successful flight in January that put several small satellites into orbit.

Today's mission will target an initial elliptical orbit ranging between 186 miles and 310 miles (300-500 kilometers) above Earth. The Electron's Curie kick stage will circularize the orbit at an altitude of 310 miles before separation of the satellites.

It will take around nine minutes for the Electron rocket to reach its preliminary orbit, and the Curie stage will ignite at T+plus 51 minutes to maneuver into the final orbit for deployment of the CubeSats.

All the satellites should be separated from the launcher by T+plus 54 minutes, 10 seconds, according to Rocket Lab.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1061354671070035968)

Welcome to launch day. We are currently targeting no earlier than 16:50 NZDT for lift-off (3:50 UTC/19:50 PST/22:50 EST). Live webcast will be available approx. 20 mins prior to target T-0.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1061377041096892416)

Electron is vertical on the pad at LC-1. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172124.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) сейчас31 минуту назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1061420815751643136)

T-3 hours. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172136.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186061.jpg)Spire‏ @SpireGlobal (https://twitter.com/SpireGlobal) сейчас6 минут назад (https://twitter.com/SpireGlobal/status/1061435853397024768)

T-2 hours to #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash). Hitching a ride are LEMUR-2-ZUPANSKI and LEMUR-2-CHANUSIAK, outfitted with sensors for maritime, aviation, and weather tracking. Watch the livestream for Spire's 5th launch of 2018, and our 18th launch of all time! https://buff.ly/2zJ49jT  (https://t.co/QonPJfiDjr)

Цитироватьна сайте RocketLab

rocketlabusa.com/live-stream (http://www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream)

или

на ТыТрубе

youtube.com/watch?v=sPwMuUxSrcA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPwMuUxSrcA)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 46 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1061437984816287744)

LOX fill proceeding.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 11 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1061453644464148480)

LOX fill is complete for today's Electron launch. We are currently targeting lift-off at 16:50 NZDT (03:50 UTC). Live webcast begins approx. 20 min ahead of T-0. http://www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream  (https://t.co/RyD0mD6yVf)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172152.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 15 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1061452931784822784)

Count proceeding!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172151.jpg)

Цитировать11/11/2018 06:08 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab's launch team is monitoring ground winds at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, but weather is currently "green" for launch at 10:50 p.m. EST (0350 GMT; 4:50 p.m. New Zealand time).

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 7 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1061462635961434112)

Go-NoGo poll complete. We are go for #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 10 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1061468575053967360)

Electron is orbital.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 10 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1061469019427921920)

Electron's kick stage is now in elliptical orbit for around 42 mins. At approx T+51 minutes the kick stage's Curie engine will ignite and circularize its orbit before deploying the payloads. Webcast will be back for payload deploy. Enjoy some tunes from @Erdayastronaut (https://twitter.com/Erdayastronaut) until then

ЦитироватьRocket Lab Electron "It's Business Time" Launch

SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

Опубликовано: 10 нояб. 2018 г.

Цитировать11/11/2018 07:12 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab's webcast is continuing during this coast phase, before ignition of the Curie kick stage at T+plus 51 minutes, or around 11:41 p.m. EST (0441 GMT).

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 17 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1061469029511192576)

Stage 2 shutdown - orbital. Coasting for over 40 mins with the kick stage.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172158.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172159.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172160.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1061473275132473344)

Payloads on this first "operational" Electron flight, dubbed "It's Business Time": IRVINE01, Lemur-2-Zupanski, Lemur-2-Chanusiak, Proxima I and II, CICERO-10, and NABEO.

Цитировать11/11/2018 07:25 Stephen Clark

The Curie kick stage and its payloads are now heading north over the South Atlantic Ocean after a passage above Antarctica.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 7 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1061474421926432774)

IRVINE01 is a high school student cubesat from the Irvine, California public school district


6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1061474619062972416)

The Lemur-2 satellites from @SpireGlobal (https://twitter.com/SpireGlobal) carry weather (GPS-RO) and ship-tracking (AIS) payloads


5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1061474892275691520)

Proxima I and II are the first satellites from Fleet Space Technologies (Adelaide), and will relay data from IoT devices


3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1061475414344941569)

CICERO-10, also called TYVAK-0086, carries another GPS-RO radio-occultation weather payload for GeoOptics (Pasadena) built by Tyvak (San Luis Obispo). It's the biggest sat on this launch at a whopping 10 kilograms!


2 мин.2 минуты назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1061475745833336838)

NABEO, from High Performance Space Structure Systems GmbH (Munich) is an experiment which stays attached to the Curie upper stage. It deploys a 1.6 x 1.6m drag sail to accelerate the stage's reentry.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 53 сек. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1061478392384622593)

Curie currently in 210 x 500 km orbit, approaching apogee. Curie engine burn will increase speed so it doesn't fall back down to 210 but stays at 500 as it circles the Earth

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 10 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1061480227006644225)

All payloads deployed. It really is Business Time.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 10 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1061480691051966465)

Mission Success for @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab)! Very smooth count and nominal mission. (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125484.png)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125382.png)

ARTICLE:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/11/rocketlab-operational-electron-launch-five-payload/ ... (https://t.co/FmBloyLEeg)

- by @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172147.jpg)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172148.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172149.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172150.jpg)

[свернуть]

Цитировать11/11/2018 07:49 Stephen Clark

First deployed from the Curie kick stage was the IRVINE01 CubeSat built by students in Southern California, followed by two ship-tracking and weather data collection craft for Spire Global, two data relay satellites from Fleet Space Technologies, and the CICERO 10 commercial weather satellite for GeoOptics.

The German-built NABEO drag sail will remain on the Curie kick stage and is scheduled to unfurl in around one hour, Rocket Lab says.

ЦитироватьRocket Lab Electron "It's Business Time" satellites deployment

SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

Опубликовано: 10 нояб. 2018 г.

ЦитироватьIt's Business Time Launch - 11/11/2018

Rocket Lab (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsWq7LZaizhIi-c-Yo_bcpw)

Трансляция началась 99 минут назад

Rocket Lab successfully launched 'It's Business Time' at 16:50 NZDT (03:50 UTC), Sunday 11th November.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 9 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1061490674371977216)

Perfect flight. Orbital accuracy was exquisite. Let's do it all again in a few weeks time!

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1061496169468022790)

The world is waking up to a new normal. Rapid and reliable access to space is now a reality for small satellites.
#ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172155.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1061502149912420352)

NABEO drag sail should have been deployed from Curie stage at about 0534 UTC, 45 min ago

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1061504485816713216)

One object from the Electron launch cataloged so far, as 43690. It appears to be the Electron second stage, in a 205 x 507 km x 85.0 deg orbit.

ЦитироватьRocket Lab reaches orbit again, deploys more satellites

Rocket Lab reaches orbit again, deploys more satellites

Auckland, New Zealand. November 11, 2018: Rocket Lab has continued the success of its 2018 orbital launch program with the launch of seven payloads to orbit today. The mission, named 'It's Business Time,' marks Rocket Lab's second successful orbital launch and deployment of customer satellites.

Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle lifted-off from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Māhia Peninsula at 16:50 on 11 November NZDT (03:50 UTC). After first reaching orbit on Electron's second stage, the Curie kick stage successfully separated and circularized its orbit before deploying six satellites for customers Spire Global, Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Fleet Space Technologies and the Irvine CubeSat Stem Program. Curie also carried NABEO, a drag sail technology demonstrator, designed and built by High Performance Space Structure Systems GmbH, to passively de-orbit inactive small satellites and reduce space junk.

Rocket Lab founder and chief executive Peter Beck says the mission marks a new era in access to space.

"The world is waking up to the new normal. With the Electron launch vehicle, rapid and reliable access to space is now a reality for small satellites," says Beck.

"We're thrilled to be leading the small satellite launch industry by reaching orbit a second time and deploying more payloads. The team carried out a flawless flight with incredibly precise orbital insertion. " he says.

Rocket Lab is poised for high-frequency launches in 2019 thanks to production facilities that enable rapid mass Electron production, as well as a private launch complex licensed to launch up to 120 times per year.

"With two orbital launches down for 2018, we're not resting on our laurels. We have a burgeoning customer manifest, so we're moving onto the next mission within a few weeks – the incredibly exciting ELaNa 19 mission for NASA in December."

The full webcast for It's Business Time can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPwMuUxSrcA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPwMuUxSrcA)

For real-time updates on Rocket Lab activities and upcoming launches, follow Rocket Lab on Twitter @RocketLab

ЦитироватьRocket Lab performs first commercial launch
by Jeff Foust (https://spacenews.com/author/jeff-foust/) — November 10, 2018

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/191555.jpg)
Rocket Lab's Electron rocket lifts off from its New Zealand launch site on the "It's Business Time" mission. Credit: Rocket Lab

WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab successfully launched its Electron rocket Nov. 10 on a long-delayed first commercial mission for the small launch vehicle.

The Electron lifted off from the company's Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula at 10:50 p.m. Eastern (4:50 p.m. local time Nov. 11) after a trouble-free countdown. The two-stage rocket released an upper stage, called Curie, into orbit nine minutes after liftoff.

Curie ignited its engines 51 minutes after liftoff to go into a circular 500-kilometer orbit at an inclination of 85 degrees. Three minutes later it released its payload of six small satellites.

Those satellites included two Lemur-2 cubesats for Spire, which operates a constellation of such spacecraft to collect weather data as well as track vessels and aircraft. The Cicero-10 small satellite built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems for weather satellite constellation company GeoOptics was also on the launch, as was IRVINE01, a cubesat built by high school students in Southern California. IRVINE01 features an electric propulsion system developed by Accion Systems, marking the first flight of that company's technology.

Fleet, an Australian company developing a constellation of smallsats for Internet of Things services, added two 1.5-unit Proxima cubesats to the mission in October (https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-sets-november-date-for-next-electron-launch/). The satellites are the first to be launched by the company, ahead of larger 3-unit cubesats that are part of a SpaceX Falcon 9 dedicated rideshare mission scheduled to launch later in November.

An additional payload, called NABEO and developed by High Performance Space Structure Systems GmBH, will remain attached to Curie. It will deploy a sail after the release of the other satellites to test its use as a means of deorbiting satellites. That payload was installed in cooperation with Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation, which announced an agreement with Rocket Lab in August to arrange similar hosted payloads on future Electron missions.

The launch was the third mission for the Electron, and the first since a January test flight that was the first to reach orbit. This mission, dubbed "It's Business Time" by Rocket Lab, marked the beginning of routine commercial operations.

Спойлер

That mission was originally scheduled for launch in April but postponed because of a motor controller problem in one of the rocket's first stage engines. The company corrected the problem and rescheduled the launch for late June, only to have the problem reappear.

In an August interview, Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, said the company decided to make changes to the design of the controller to address the problem (https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-plans-return-to-flight-in-november/). "We made the decision to bite the bullet," he said then. "We'll go in there and make some changes to the hardware, some components of the motor controller."

With this success the company plans to step up the pace of launches. Rocket Lab's next Electron mission is expected to take place in December, carrying a collection of cubesats from NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative under a contract awarded by NASA's Venture Class Launch Services program in 2015.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1061518489561686016)

Electron in flight. #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172162.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 26 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1061648035422392320)

Two more objects from Electron cataloged this morning, in 506 x 516 km x 85.0 deg and 497 x 522 km x 85.0 deg orbits. Presumably two of the cubesat payloads, as the kick stage probably lowered perigee after the deployments.

ЦитироватьRocket Lab delivers seven payloads to orbit, plans next launch in December
November 11, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/11/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145165.jpg)
Rocket Lab's Electron rocket lifts off Sunday from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. Credit: Kieran Fanning & Sam Toms

Rocket Lab's Electron booster launched six small satellites and a drag sail demonstrator to orbit Sunday from New Zealand, a success on the company's first commercial mission that officials said should pave the way for a launch carrying NASA CubeSats next month and up to 16 flights of the light-class rocket next year.

The two-stage rocket, standing more than 55 feet (17 meters) tall, fired its nine kerosene-fueled Rutherford main engines at 0350 GMT Sunday (10:50 p.m. EST Saturday) and climbed away from Launch Complex 1, Rocket Lab's privately-operated spaceport on Mahia Peninsula, located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island.

The Electron arced toward the south from Mahia Peninsula, riding nearly 50,000 pounds of thrust from the Rutherford engines during a two-and-a-half minute first stage burn.

The booster shut down and dropped away from the Electron's second stage, heading for a plunge into the Pacific Ocean, as a single Rutherford engine fired to propel the upper part of the rocket and its seven payloads into a preliminary orbit.

The Rutherford engine, developed in-house by Rocket Lab, fired more than six minutes to propel the rocket to the necessary speed to enter orbit. The engine uses pumps powered by batteries, an innovation for a liquid-fueled rocket engine, and all its primary components are 3D-printed, reducing the cost and time required during manufacturing.

Rocket Lab's Curie kick stage deployed from the Electron second stage around nine minutes after liftoff, in an elliptical parking orbit with a low point around 120 miles (200 kilometers) and a high point around 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth, and an inclination of 85 degrees.

The Curie kick stage soared over Antarctica, then flew north over the Atlantic Ocean before igniting its main engine, which burns a "green" non-toxic liquid monopropellant. A burn lasting nearly two minutes aimed to circularize the kick stage's orbit at an altitude of around 310 miles before release of the mission's six satellite passengers.

Rocket Lab confirmed in its live webcast of the flight that all six satellites separated as planned.

Спойлер

First deployed from the Curie kick stage was the IRVINE01 CubeSat built by students in Southern California, followed by two ship-tracking and weather data collection craft for Spire Global, two pathfinder data relay satellites from Fleet Space Technologies, and the CICERO 10 commercial weather satellite built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems for GeoOptics.

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO, said the Electron rocket's orbital accuracy was "exquisite" on Sunday's mission, setting the stage for another Electron launch in December carrying around a dozen scientific and research CubeSats sponsored by NASA and developed at U.S. institutions and universities.

The launch window for the next Electron flight is currently expected to open around Dec. 10 and extend to Dec. 18, according to two sources with payloads flying on the NASA-funded mission.

Sunday's launch was the third flight of Rocket Lab's Electron rocket, following a pair of test flights in May 2017 and in January the company named "It's a Test" and "Still Testing." Last year's inaugural Electron mission fell short of orbit, but the Electron launch in January delivered several small spacecraft to orbit, including a geodesic sphere dubbed "Humanity Star" covered in reflective panels designed to make it visible from Earth.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145173.jpg)
The Electron rocket lifts off Sunday from New Zealand. Credit: Rocket Lab

The Electron rocket is capable of placing up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) of payload in a polar orbit around 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth. The rocket's capacity to a lower-altitude orbit is up to 500 pounds (225 kilograms).

Founded in New Zealand and headquartered in the United States, Rocket Lab says it can launch an Electron rocket for $5.7 million per flight, offering small satellite owners a more affordable, dedicated ride to orbit than larger, more expensive rockets, which often launch large clusters of smallsats at a time.

The success of the January launch gave Rocket Lab officials confidence to press ahead with the company's first operational flight, which was named "It's Business Time."

Rocket Lab planned to launch the "It's Business Time" mission in April, but engineers discovered a problem with a motor controller during a fueling test. The controller woes continued during a launch attempt in June, and Rocket Lab stood down from the launch campaign to resolve the issue.

The Electron rocket finally launched Sunday on the first attempt after the months-long delay.

"The world is waking up to the new normal. With the Electron launch vehicle, rapid and reliable access to space is now a reality for small satellites," Beck said in a statement after Sunday's launch. "We're thrilled to be leading the small satellite launch industry by reaching orbit a second time and deploying more payloads. The team carried out a flawless flight with incredibly precise orbital insertion."

Two the satellites launched on the Electron rocket Sunday are owned by Spire Global, a San Francisco-based company which builds and operates a fleet of CubeSats collecting weather data and tracking maritime traffic. The Lemur-2 satellites are about the size of a shoebox, and also carry instrumentation to track aircraft in flight.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145144.jpg)
A Spire Lemur-2 CubeSat during testing. Credit: Spire

Another California-based company, GeoOptics, also launched a small satellite for its own commercial weather monitoring constellation, which monitors GPS navigation signals passed through the atmosphere to measure temperature and moisture profiles. The GeoOptics CICERO 10 spacecraft was the biggest of the bunch launched Sunday, weighing in at around 22 pounds (10 kilograms).

A CubeSat named IRVINE01 built by Southern California high school students is also set for liftoff on the Electron rocket.

Fleet Space Technologies, an Australian company with plans to build a network of tiny tracking and data relay satellites designed to connect with devices in remote locations on Earth, also launched its first two test CubeSats on Sunday's mission — named Proxima 1 and 2.

A German-built payload from High Performance Space Structure Systems also rode into orbit Sunday to test an aerodynamic drag sail that could be used to de-orbit future satellites and help clear space junk out of orbit. The drag sail was to remain attached to the Curie kick stage and unfurl after the separation of the other satellites.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144616.jpg)
A model of the drag sail to be demonstrated on the NABEO tech demo payload. Credit: Rocket Lab

In an interview with Spaceflight Now last month, Beck said Rocket Lab has laid the groundwork for a more fast-paced launch manifest, despite the delays in launching the Electron rocket this year.

"With the motor controller, we haven't rushed to get back to the pad," Beck told Spaceflight Now. "What we've, in fact, done is taken our time to really set the business up to succeed in a high volume kind of way."

Rocket Lab opened a new high-volume factory in Auckland last month. Coupled with a factory in Huntington Beach, California, Rocket Lab can produce up to one new launch vehicle every week, Beck said. The company also broke ground on its first U.S. launch pad at Wallops Island, Virginia, in October.

There are up to 16 Electron launches planned in 2019, Beck said, between the New Zealand launch site and the new pad in Virginia, which is scheduled to begin supporting missions in the third quarter of 2019.

"Our goal by the end of next year is to be launching once every two weeks, and as we move into 2020, launching once a week," Beck said. "We're tracking a pretty big pipeline of customers, and we've been very fortunate that people have put their trust in us."

Beck said Rocket Lab is generating "significant revenues" from customers, and the company's backlog is growing. But the company has its sights set on more launch sites, including a potential location in Scotland and possibly a second U.S. launch base. That could require more financing.

"It's a capital-intensive business, especially when you're building launch sites all around the world," Beck said in an interview. "So there's probably some future fundraising which we can talk about."

Rocket Lab's investors to date include Khosla Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, DCVC (Data Collective), Lockheed Martin, Promus Ventures and K1W1. The government of New Zealand also approved an innovation grant to Rocket Lab during Electron's development.

"It's one thing to put one rocket on orbit, and it's another thing to back up that with the manufacturing facilities ad the business infrastructure to really go forward," Beck said. "If I reflect on this year, getting to orbit was great and was a lot of work, but we spent an equal amount of work this year on making sure that we can truly deliver on our launch cadence in the coming years."

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/35114.png)Cees Bassa‏ @cgbassa (https://twitter.com/cgbassa) 9 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/cgbassa/status/1061605396769660928)

The IRVINE-01 cubesat by @irvinecubesat (https://twitter.com/irvinecubesat) is alive and kicking! Morse code signals received by @coastal8049 (https://twitter.com/coastal8049) around 12:38UTC pass. @18SPCS (https://twitter.com/18SPCS) now also has TLEs of 2018-088C payloads and 43692 seems to fit the observations best.
@TSKelso (https://twitter.com/TSKelso) @HAMSATNL (https://twitter.com/HAMSATNL) @pe0sat (https://twitter.com/pe0sat) @SatNOGS (https://twitter.com/SatNOGS) @CalPolyCubeSat (https://twitter.com/CalPolyCubeSat)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185805.jpg)Fleet‏ @fleetspace (https://twitter.com/fleetspace) 4 ч.4 часа назад (https://twitter.com/fleetspace/status/1062138833544740865)

Check out Proxima I and II exiting the @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) dispenser (silver one) - Awesome footage (https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/Dr15n66U4AEKqeh.mp4)!!

https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/Dr15n66U4AEKqeh.mp4 (https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/Dr15n66U4AEKqeh.mp4)

ЦитироватьTyvak's CICERO 6U Nanosatellite Successfully Deployed
Operationally Responsive Space to Provide Usable Commercial Data

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/150110.jpg)

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems Inc., a Terran Orbital Corporation  (https://www.prnewswire.com/news/Tyvak+Nano-Satellite+Systems+Inc.%2C+a+Terran+Orbital+Corporation)
09:00 ET

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tyvak is proud to announce their CICERO 6U nanosatellite for GeoOptics successfully deployed from Rocket Lab's Electron, 'It's Business Time.' The GPS radio occultation satellite, used to enhance weather monitoring, launched from Auckland, New Zealand on Sunday and is now in low earth orbit.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/189060.jpg) (https://prnewswire2-a.akamaihd.net/p/1893751/sp/189375100/thumbnail/entry_id/1_ng4309al/def_height/2700/def_width/2700/version/100011/type/1.jpg)
Tyvak's Cicero 6U Nanosatellite and Deployer

Based on Tyvak's Endeavor platform, CICERO has been further developed to increase its responsiveness and autonomous operations in a timely manner. As part of this demonstration, CICERO automatically reached a fully controlled state in less than 20 minutes. This is not the first time that Tyvak has accomplished this goal. Tyvak's GEOStare, a 3U nanosatellite mission launched earlier this year, was fully functional during its first pass and successfully completed an enhanced situational awareness demonstration shortly thereafter.

Following a successful commissioning phase, CICERO obtained nominal payload data within the first 12 hours after launch. The data was then automatically downloaded by Tyvak, verified and processed by GeoOptics, and immediately made available to users.

"This latest CICERO satellite has demonstrated an incredible responsiveness," said Marco Villa, Tyvak's COO. "At Tyvak, we have worked hard to perfect the process of what we like to call Agile Space. With this term, we describe Tyvak's unique ability to provide reliable, economical and timely solutions with a greater focus on our customers."

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29726.jpg)Joseph Remis‏ @jremis (https://twitter.com/jremis) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/jremis/status/1076769354438594561)

Obj. 43691 ELECTRON R/B decay prediction: December 29, 2018 UTC 11h39mn ± 38h

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173465.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1079190027555561472)

The @rocketlab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) Electron second stage from November's flight reentered Dec 28 1936UTC over the Kostroma region of Russia

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 7 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1079689782941212672)

Final 2018 milestone. It's business time 2nd stage is re-entering Earths atmosphere and burning up as planned. #NoSpaceJunk (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoSpaceJunk?src=hash)