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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 5 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/983122778730610688)

Next launch after #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash)? The NASA Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) XIX mission. Payload integration starts this week at Rocket Lab HQ, Huntington Beach!

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/983119307751047168)

At HQ in Huntington Beach cleanroom getting ready for NASA ELaNa XIX payload integration this week!
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162724.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185527.jpg)NASA Kennedy / KSC‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASAKennedy (https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy) 5 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy/status/984859014520590336)

A host of CubeSats, or small satellites, are undergoing the final stages of processing @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab)'s facility in Huntington Beach, California, for @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA)'s first mission dedicated solely to spacecraft of their size.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162715.jpg)

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

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.

Спойлер

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.

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.

[свернуть]

...

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."

Спойлер

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."

...

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/989279065696849920)

Rocket Lab integrates payloads for first ever NASA Venture Class Launch Services Mission.

Release:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=35300.msg1814620#msg1814620 ... (https://t.co/V9FQRVqCiK)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163078.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163079.jpg)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab integrates payloads for first ever NASA Venture Class Launch Services Mission

Huntington Beach, California and Auckland, New Zealand April 25, 2018:

Rocket Lab and NASA have carried out the integration of the CubeSat payloads scheduled to launch on the Electron rocket in the first half of 2018 for NASA's first ever Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) mission. The flight will constitute the smallest class of dedicated launch services used by NASA and marks a significant milestone for Rocket Lab in providing such access to space for a NASA-sponsored mission of small satellites.

Спойлер

The launch is manifested with innovative research and development payloads from NASA and educational institutions that will conduct a wide variety of new, on-orbit science. Applications of the CubeSats booked on the mission include research such as measuring radiation in the Van Allen belts to understand their impact on spacecraft, through to monitoring space weather.

"We're incredibly excited to be launching NASA's first Venture Class mission," says Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck. "The VCLS contract by NASA's Launch Services Program is very forward-thinking and a direct response to the small satellite industry's changing needs for rapid and repeatable access to orbit. The oversight NASA has provided to us as part of this contract has been tremendously valuable for us."

Big ideas used to require big rockets, but thanks to the miniaturization of technology, the small satellites of today can conduct innovative science that helps us better understand the Earth and our universe. Before Rocket Lab's Electron vehicle, launch opportunities for small satellites were mostly limited to rideshare-type arrangements on large launch vehicles, flying only when space was available on NASA and other launches. This can be impractical for some small satellite payloads, as they are at the mercy of the primary payload's schedule and desired orbit. Rocket Lab's Electron is the only private, small launch vehicle currently flying to orbit and offering the dedicated flights tailored to these small payloads.

"Venture Class launches are about freeing small satellite payloads from the barriers they currently face in trying to access space on larger launch platforms as secondary payloads. It's fantastic to see NASA enabling this change and embracing private small launch vehicles like Electron," adds Mr. Beck.

[свернуть]

Ten CubeSats manifested on the mission are receiving their access to space through a NASA initiative called the CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) and are part of the 19th Educational Launch of Nanosatellites, or ELaNa-19. The program recognizes that CubeSats are playing an increasingly larger role in exploration, technology demonstration, scientific research and educational investigations. These miniature satellites provide a low-cost platform for both research and commercial applications, including planetary space exploration; Earth observation; Earth and space science; and developing precursor science instruments like laser communications, satellite-to-satellite communications and autonomous movement capabilities.

Спойлер

The recent payload integration process, which took place at Rocket Lab USA's facility in Huntington Beach, California, involves conducting final spacecraft checks and preparations before the CubeSats are loaded into dispensers that protect the payloads during launch, then deploy them from the Electron vehicle once in low Earth orbit. The integrated payloads will be shipped to New Zealand for mating onto the Electron launch vehicle in coming weeks, before a launch from Rocket Lab's private orbital launch facility, Launch Complex 1.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьRocket Lab is preparing to launch the first venture class mission for NASA this summer. The company just completed processing (https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/cubesats-readied-for-nasa-s-first-venture-class-launch) the CubeSats for flight on the Electron rocket at its Huntington Beach facility. The company's launch pad, Launch Complex 1, is located on the southern tip of the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 53 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1008621846554542081)

Finished the upper stage test today for the next flight following #ItsBusinessTime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsBusinessTime?src=hash). NASA #ELaNaXIX (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNaXIX?src=hash)

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1008621731924176896/pu/vid/640x360/MXEqoRjJdcaJcnCa.mp4 (https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1008621731924176896/pu/vid/640x360/MXEqoRjJdcaJcnCa.mp4)
(video (https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1008621731924176896/pu/vid/640x360/MXEqoRjJdcaJcnCa.mp4) 0:04)

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."

...

After It's Business Time, the next Electron off the pad will be NASA's 19th Educational Launch of Nanosatellites mission, or ELaNa-XIX. The launch is manifested with innovative research and development payloads from NASA and educational institutions that will conduct a wide variety of new, on-orbit science. Applications of the CubeSats booked on the mission include research such as measuring radiation in the Van Allen belts to understand their impact on spacecraft, through to monitoring space weather. The mission is also NASA's first ever Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) mission, constituting the smallest class of dedicated launch services used by NASA. It marks a significant milestone for Rocket Lab in providing such access to space for a NASA-sponsored mission of small satellites.

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/29262.jpg)Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 41 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1027558170854612993)

Holmes: we've developed a concept called ELROI that serves as a "license plate" for smallsats: optical emitter with milliwatt average power, pulsing a pattern that can be observed by telescopes on ground to ID them. #smallsat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsat?src=hash)

36 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1027559596544516096)

Holmes: flying a prototype of this on a cubesat launching in December on NASA's Rocket Lab Electron mission. #smallsat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsat?src=hash)

ЦитироватьAug. 16, 2018

Rocket Lab to Launch ELaNa XIX Mission

Rocket Lab (http://www.rocketlabusa.com/), a U.S. orbital launch provider for the small satellite industry, has confirmed it will target the launch of NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/elana/index.html)(ELaNa) XIX mission for December from the company's private orbital launch pad in New Zealand, Launch Complex-1. The mission will be the first launch for NASA's Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS), constituting the smallest class of dedicated launch services used by the agency. It will mark a significant milestone in providing such access to space for a NASA-sponsored mission of small satellites.

ELaNa-XIX is NASA's 19th mission under the NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (http://go.nasa.gov/CubeSat_initiative). It is manifested (https://www.nasa.gov/content/upcoming-elana-cubesat-launches) with innovative research and development payloads from NASA and educational institutions that will conduct a wide variety of new, on-orbit science and technology demonstrations. CubeSats on this mission include research measuring radiation in the Van Allen belts to understand their impact on spacecraft, and demonstrating new technologies such as a solar sail blade and a compact robotic manipulator, among others. Education institutions and nonprofit organizations interested in joining the adventure and challenge of space through ELaNa missions can apply (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-cubesat-launch-initiative-connects-educators-and-nonprofits-with-space) for a flight opportunity through the CubeSat Launch Initiative.

Learn more about NASA's Venture Class here: https://youtu.be/2eZyUuYvBUo

Last Updated: Aug. 16, 2018
Editor: Anna Heiney

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 11:24 (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1064962792581562369) - 20 нояб. 2018 г.

Stage one is tested and ready to fly for our December ELaNa 19 mission for NASA! Electron is headed to the pad next week for checkouts.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172303.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 11:50 (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1064969314531340288) - 20 нояб. 2018 г.

The final stage test for our upcoming @NASA_LSP (https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP) #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) mission is complete (and what a thing of beauty!) Electron is now shipping to LC-1, ready for launch in December.

Video (https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/1064969314531340288) (0:18 )

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 22:25 (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1068390660741320704) - 29 нояб. 2018 г.

The next flight (NASA) is at the launch site. Roll out next week for pre flight checks on the pad.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172853.jpg)

ЦитироватьELaNa XIX
Date: NET December 11, 2018
Mission: Rocket Lab Flight 4, Electron, Mahia, New Zealand
10 CubeSat Missions scheduled to be deployed

[/li]
• ALBUS – NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
• CeREs – NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
• CHOMPTT – University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
• CubeSail – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
• DaVinci – North Idaho STEM Charter Academy, Rathdrum, Idaho
• ISX – SRI International/ California Polytechnic University, Menlo Park, California
• NMTSat – New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico
• RSat – United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland
• Shields-1 – NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia
• STF-1 – West Virginia University / NASA IV&V, Morgantown, West Virginia
  

ЦитироватьVenture Class Rockets: First Class Flights for CubeSats

NASAKennedy (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjJtr2fFcUp6yljzJOzpHUg)

Опубликовано: 3 дек. 2018 г.

For years, tiny CubeSat satellites could only fly into space as hitchhikers, riding along with larger, primary payloads. Now, thanks to Venture Class Launch Services, these small packages of big science are getting their own rides into space on dedicated rockets -- and on their own terms. Rocket Lab USA of Huntington Beach, California, and Virgin Orbit of Long Beach, California, are the two companies poised to propel CubeSats from coach class to first class.

Цитировать

Rocket Lab prepares to launch historic CubeSat mission for NASA

Rocket Lab prepares to launch historic CubeSat mission for NASA

Huntington Beach, California – December 4, 2018 – US small satellite launch company Rocket Lab is gearing up for the company's third orbital launch of the year, the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa)-19 mission for NASA. The launch is a significant moment for the small satellite industry, as it's the first time NASA CubeSats will enjoy a dedicated ride to orbit on a commercial launch vehicle, thanks to NASA's forward-leaning Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) initiative. VCLS is managed by NASA's Launch Services Program headquartered at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

A nine-day launch window for the ELaNa-19 mission will open between 13 – 21 December 2018, UTC. Within this window, lift-off is scheduled between 04:00 and 08:00 UTC from Rocket Lab's private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, on New Zealand's Māhia Peninsula.

The mission will see Rocket Lab's Electron vehicle loft multiple CubeSats to low Earth orbit for NASA. Electron will carry approximately 172 pounds (78 kg) of payload, which will be deployed to a 500km circular orbit at an 85-degree inclination by Rocket Lab's kick stage.

"It is an honor and privilege to launch NASA payloads on Electron, and to be the first small satellite launcher to fly under a NASA Venture Class Launch Services contract," said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck. "Reaching orbit twice already this year has made 2018 a banner year for Rocket Lab. Capping it off with our first launch for NASA is a tremendous way to celebrate the new era of improved access to orbit for small satellites."

Until now, launch opportunities for small satellites have mostly been limited to rideshare-type arrangements, flying only when space is available on large launch vehicles. As NASA's first VCLS mission to fly, the ELaNa-19 mission on Electron represents a new approach to small satellite launch. VCLS contracts constitute the smallest class of launch services used by NASA and have been created to foster commercial launch services dedicated to transporting smaller payloads to orbit. The VCLS contract is a direct response from NASA to the small satellite industry's changing needs for rapid and repeatable access to orbit.

"The NASA Venture Class Launch Service contract was designed from the ground up to be an innovative way for NASA to work and encourage new launch companies to come to the market and enable a future class of rockets for the growing small satellite market. Matching ELaNa-19 with the Electron rocket gives these advanced scientific and educational satellites first-class tickets to space while providing valuable insight for potential NASA missions in the future," said Justin Treptow NASA ELaNa-19 Mission Manager.

Many of the 10 ELaNa-19 CubeSats manifested on the mission are receiving their access to space through a NASA initiative called the CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). CSLI enables the launch of CubeSat projects designed, built and operated by students, teachers and faculty, as well as, NASA Centers and programs, and nonprofit organizations. The program recognizes that CubeSats are playing an increasingly significant role in exploration, technology demonstration, scientific research and educational investigations. These small satellites provide a low-cost platform for both research and technology applications, including planetary space exploration; Earth observation; Earth and space science; and developing precursor science instruments like laser communications, satellite-to-satellite communications and autonomous movement capabilities.

While the mission itself is called ELaNa-19, Rocket Lab also names each Electron launch vehicle individually. Previous Rocket Lab designations 'It's a Test', 'Still Testing' and 'It's Business Time' doubled as both mission and vehicle names. For the ELaNa-19 mission, the Electron launch vehicle is named 'This One's For Pickering' in honor of NZ-born scientist and former Director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), Sir William Pickering. For 22 years, Sir William headed JPL and led the team that developed the first US satellite, Explorer I, launched in 1958.

Live coverage of the ELaNa-19 launch will be available on Rocket Lab's website at www.rocketalbusa/live-stream. For real-time updates on launch day, follow Rocket Lab on Twitter @RocketLab

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/1070052155300622336)

A nine-day launch window for the ELaNa-19 mission opens 13 – 21 December 2018, UTC. Lift-off from Launch Complex 1 is scheduled between:
04:00 - 08:00 UTC (13 Dec)
17:00 - 21:00 NZDT (13 Dec)
20:00 - 00:00 PST (12/13 Dec)
23:00 - 03:00 EST (12/13 Dec)

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/1070053969660076033)

While the mission is named ELaNa-19, this Electron itself is named 'This One's For Pickering' after NZ-born scientist and former Director of NASA JPL, Sir William Pickering.For 22 years, Sir William headed JPL, and he led the team that developed the first US satellite, Explorer I

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/1070510355590275072)

Electron looking good on the pad. L-7 days. #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172889.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1070510750282612737)

We don't fly meat, but we do fly meatballs.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172890.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 50 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1071630260842582016)

Successful wet dress ahead of NASA flight. Go for flight next week.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172647.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 13:20 (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1071877349400956930) - 9 дек. 2018 г.

Last week our team completed fairing encapsulation in our shiny new clean rooms at LC-1 for this week's NASA #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) mission. All CubeSats are now installed on the kick stage payload plate inside Electron's fairing & ready for lift-off. Launch window opens 13 Dec UTC.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173027.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173026.jpg)

ЦитироватьNZZO

B7269/18 - DANGER AREA NZD023 (EAST AUCKLAND OCEANIC FIR) ACT. REF AIP SUP 76/18. SFC - FL999, 13 DEC 03:30 2018 UNTIL 13 DEC 08:35 2018. CREATED: 09 DEC 23:48 2018

ЦитироватьHYDROPAC 4385/2018 (76)

WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   0400Z TO 0800Z DAILY 13 THRU 21 DEC
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   39-15.0S 177-48.0E, 39-12.5S 177-51.0E,
   39-12.5S 178-00.0E, 39-37.0S 178-00.0E,
   39-37.0S 177-48.0E.
2. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   0400Z TO 0800Z DAILY 13 THRU 21 DEC
   IN AREA BOUND BY
    43-54.0S 177-54.0E, 43-54.0S 178-48.0E,
    47-18.0S 179-54.0E, 47-30.0S 177-36.0E.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 210900Z DEC 18.

( 081006Z DEC 2018 )


HYDROPAC 4386/2018 (29,76)

SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06, DNC 29.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   0400Z TO 0800Z DAILY 13 THRU 21 DEC
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   55-12S 179-00E, 55-06S 179-24W,
   60-42S 177-36W, 60-48S 179-30W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 210900Z DEC 18.

( 081026Z DEC 2018 )

ЦитироватьSmall Satellites, First-Class Ride: ELaNa 19

NASAKennedy (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjJtr2fFcUp6yljzJOzpHUg)

Опубликовано: 10 дек. 2018 г.

NASA's first Venture Class launch is flying on the Rocket Lab Electron. On board, the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites-19 payload – 10 small satellites – are ready for their first-class ride into space.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 20:01 (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1072702932913541120) - 11 дек. 2018 г.

We are green for tomorrow's #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) launch on Electron. The launch window opens at 04:07 UTC (17:07 NZDT/20:07 PST/23:07 EST). We're currently tracking a moderate risk of weather violation due to thunderstorms, so stay tuned for updates tomorrow. (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125314.png)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173164.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 16:41 (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1073014951982166016) - 12 дек. 2018 г.

Electron is vertical on the pad for today's #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) mission for @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA)! We're still watching the weather closely as we get closer to target T-0. Thunderstorms are not invited to this party. (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125314.png)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125505.png)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173227.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 18:56 (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1073049027376164864) - 12 дек. 2018 г.

The weather is deteriorating over Launch Complex 1, so we're standing down from today's #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) launch. Tomorrow's weather is similar, but we'll continue to assess and then establish a new target T-0 date/time. (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125314.png)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125609.png)


(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 19:22 (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1073055562064048128) - 12 дек. 2018 г.

The current weather has violated FAA flight rules, so this one is kind of out of our hands. Some good weather is on its way soon however!

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 22:23 (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1073101110993276928) - 12 дек. 2018 г.

With a worsening weather system on the way, Rocket Lab is now targeting no earlier than 0400 UTC, Sunday 16 December for the #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) launch on Electron. We'll let the weather clear completely to give us a solid green window.


22:52 (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1073108450417078272) - 12 дек. 2018 г.

Handy timezone guide for launch:
UTC: 04:00 - 08:00, 16 Dec
NZDT: 17:00 - 21:00, 16 Dec
PST: 20:00 - 00:00, 15/16 Dec
EST: 23:00 - 03:00, 15/16 Dec

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31566.jpg)Brady Kenniston‏ @TheFavoritist (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist) 10 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist/status/1073979950275776513)

It's launch day here in Mahia, New Zealand! The weather is looking significantly better than forecasted earlier for remote camera setup and perfect for the launch window of Electron and the 10 cube sats for NASA.

Let's go put a fisheye 30 feet away from 9 Rutherford engines!

ЦитироватьRocket Lab preps to launch flock of NASA-funded CubeSats
December 12, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Upd ated Dec. 14 with new launch date and correcting number of CubeSats.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145243.jpg)
The Electron rocket's nose cone is emblazoned with the NASA "meatball" patch for the mission launching Wednesday night (U.S. time). Credit: Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab's Electron rocket is set to launch 13 CubeSats Saturday night (U.S. time) under contract to NASA fr om the company's privately-owned spaceport in New Zealand, a pathfinder mission that could pave the way for more NASA satellites to hitch a ride on future Electron flights.

The nanosatellites cocooned inside the tip of the 55-foot-tall (17-meter) Electron launcher come fr om NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Glenn Research Center and Langley Research Center, along with the U.S. Naval Academy and educational institutions in California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, New Mexico and West Virginia. There are also CubeSats fr om the Aerospace Corp. based in Southern California, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency — the research and development arm of the U.S. Defense Department.

The two-stage, all-black carbon composite launcher is set for liftoff in a four-hour window opening at 0400 GMT Sunday (11 p.m. EST Saturday) fr om Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1, located at Mahia Peninsula on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island.

The launch window opens at 5 p.m. local time at the launch base in New Zealand, located around 240 miles (380 kilometers) southwest of Auckland, home of the company's main control center and rocket assembly facility.

Officials delayed the mission from Wednesday night (U.S. time) to wait for improved weather conditions.

Rocket Lab has until Dec. 21 (New Zealand time) to send the fourth Electron flight — the Electron's second operational mission — into orbit, a restriction based on aviation and maritime clearances around the launch site.

Спойлер

"It is an honor and privilege to launch NASA payloads on Electron, and to be the first small satellite launcher to fly under a NASA Venture Class Launch Services contract," said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO, in a statement. "Reaching orbit twice already this year has made 2018 a banner year for Rocket Lab. Capping it off with our first launch for NASA is a tremendous way to celebrate the new era of improved access to orbit for small satellites."

Since the Electron's first test launch fell short of orbit in May 2017, Rocket Lab has accomplished two back-to-back successful missions this year — first with an orbital test flight in January, and then with the company's first operational satellite launch Nov. 10 (U.S. time).

The Electron rocket is sized to haul small satellites into orbit, and it's the first of a wave of new light-class commercial launchers in development to enter service.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145242.jpg)
The Electron rocket at Launch Complex 1 during preparations for the launch of 10 NASA-funded CubeSats. Credit: Rocket Lab

Like its competitors, Rocket Lab says it can provide CubeSats and microsatellites a dedicated ride into orbit at a bargain price per launch. Smallsats have previously launched as secondary payloads, usually at the whim of the schedule and destination of the rocket's main passenger, forcing smallsat owners to compromise on orbital parameters like inclination and altitude, which can affect the commercial utility to scientific output of a space mission.

Rocket Lab's first launch pad is in New Zealand, but the company is building a second pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Rocket Lab is headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, wh ere it builds engines and avionics for the Electron vehicle. The Auckland site is home to the company's mission control center, tank production and Electron's final assembly hall.

"It's great because now we have the ability to have our own vehicle class that focuses on the small arena," said Garrett Skrobot, a senior mission manager from NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center, which oversees the launch of the agency's science missions. "To me, it's opening the door to a lot of new adventures for the small payload class and community. It's not just us. The other government agencies are also looking at this. The commercial market is looking at it."

As space technology matures, miniaturized components allow fleets of smallsats to do missions that once required bigger spacecraft that are more expensive to build and launch. Companies such as Planet and Spire are using CubeSats for Earth-imaging, weather forecasting, and aircraft and ship tracking, and huge constellations of relatively small refrigerator-sized communications satellites are planned by SpaceX, OneWeb, Telesat and other firms.

"Look at how many Flocks (Earth-observing CubeSats) are up there from Planet, and we've seen other people put them up," Skrobot said in an interview with Spaceflight Now. "And the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is approving licenses for a lot of the big constellations coming up."

NASA started the Venture Class Launch Services program to test the waters of the burgeoning smallsat launch market, and the space agency signed the first three VCLS launch contracts in 2015 with Rocket Lab, Virgin Orbit and Firefly Space Systems.

Rocket Lab is the first of the group to be ready for a NASA mission. Virgin Orbit's air-dropped LauncherOne rocket is scheduled for its first orbital test flight in early 2019, and NASA plans to put a fleet of CubeSats on a subsequent LauncherOne mission next year.

NASA terminated the contract with Firefly Space Systems when the company could not meet its contractual commitments. The Texas-based company later folded, but came back under new ownership and with a new name — Firefly Aerospace — and has renewed its launcher development effort.

"With any rocket development, there are going to be some delays," Skrobot told Spaceflight Now. "They run into issues and concerns throughout the process of developing their vehicle. We understood that. This is more us watching them develop the vehicle for the future than it is a ride for the CubeSats. Yes, we want to the CubeSats to be successful. However, from a programmatic perspective for the agency, it's to help make sure we have this new capability for our science mission directorate or the technology directorate, the opportunity to get their missions into space at a reasonable cost."

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145247.jpg)
The 10 NASA-funded CubeSats are carried inside deployers aboard the Electron rocket, which will eject the nanosatellites once in orbit. Credit: Rocket Lab

NASA took a hands-off approach with the Venture Class Launch Services contractors, a change from the agency's close-up oversight of launch companies it pays to send more costly satellites into space — providers such as United Launch Alliance and SpaceX.

Rather than dispatching a team of engineers, managers and technicians to the Rocket Lab launch base in New Zealand, Skrobot said NASA sent one employee from KSC.

"The whole concept behind this is it's an FAA-licensed (commercial) launch, so we want to keep the crews very small, so we don't have a lot of insight and oversight," Skrobot said. "So we went one individual, an integration engineer/mission manager-type who went down there, and we do have one contractor with him that is supporting the spacecraft."

Rocket Lab's launch contract with NASA is valued at $6.9 million, more than an order of magnitude less than what the space agency pays for launches on bigger rockets.

The Electron rocket can haul 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).

"They may be a little higher (cost) per kilogram, but we have a dedicated vehicle," Skrobot said of the new smallsat launch providers. Right now, we're looking at flying payloads on ESPA (secondary payload) rings. That's very good. But each one of those ESPA ring payloads need to go in the orbit wh ere the primary payload is going, or somewh ere a little below that. Inclination changes are very difficult to do.

"We may be paying a little bit more per kilogram (with Venture Class Launch Services), but now these smaller payloads have the ability to go to the exact orbit they really need to, in order to gain as much science as possible for the particular orbit they want. They could fly on an ESPA (secondary payload ring), but now maybe they'll get more science out of having their own dedicated vehicles in the future," Skrobot said.

Ten of the CubeSats set to launch on NASA's Electron mission are part of the agency's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites, or ELaNa, program. The Electron launch is numbered ELaNa 19, following a series of past CubeSat missions that hitched rides aboard Dragon and Cygnus supply ships bound for the International Space Station, and as secondary payloads on Antares, Atlas 5, Delta 2, Falcon 9 and Minotaur rockets.

NASA typically accepts proposals every year from CubeSat developers at U.S. universities and research organizations, then funds the launch of the best projects. Launch costs for CubeSats can sometimes match, or even exceed, the expense of building the spacecraft itself.

ELaNa 19 is the first dedicated launch for the program, which Skrobot helped kick off a decade ago. The Electron rocket and a Curie upper stage will place the 10 ELaNa-sponsored CubeSats, and three more U.S.-owned CubeSats, into a circular 310-mile-high orbit inclined 85 degrees to the equator, more than 50 miles above the orbit of the International Space Station.

The higher deployment will allow the CubeSats, ranging in mass from around 3.4 pounds (1.5 kilograms) to more than 15 pounds (7 kilograms), to remain in orbit longer than it they were released from the space station, due to the reduced atmospheric drag at higher altitudes.

"Some of the CubeSats prefer to go off ISS, those are quicker and easier, but they have to live at a lower inclination and a lower altitude. So those are probably going to last six months or a year, wh ere as these guys here are going to last a little bit longer," Skrobot said.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145232.jpg)
The CeREs CubeSat, or the Compact Radiation Belt Explorer, is loaded inside its deployment canister at Rocket Lab's facility in Huntington Beach, California. Credit: NASA

[свернуть]

The CubeSats set for launch aboard the Electron rocket through NASA's ELaNa program are:

Спойлер

[/li]
• ALBus, a 3-unit CubeSat from NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, will test technology for a high power density CubeSat and the deployment of solar arrays and antennas using resettable shape memory alloy mechanisms.
• CeREs, also known as the Compact Radiation Belt Explorer, is a 3-unit CubeSat from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. CeREs will examine the radiation belt and how electrons are energized and lost, particularly during events called microbursts — when sudden swarms of electrons stream into the atmosphere, according to NASA.
• CHOMPTT, also known as the CubeSat Handling of Multisystem Precision Time Transfer mission, is a 3-unit CubeSat from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. CHOMPTT will test time transfer technology using on-board atomic clocks synchronized with a ground clock using a laser signal. Time transfer is useful for satellite navigation applications.
• CubeSail consists of two 1.5-unit CubeSats launched together, which will separate once in orbit and unspool a 250-meter (820-foot) solar sail ribbon between the two spacecraft. The CubeSail experiment was developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to test novel approaches to using solar sails for propulsion.
• DaVinci is a 3-unit CubeSat from the North Idaho STEM Charter Academy in Rathdrum, Idaho. DaVinci was developed primarily as an educational tool for Idaho students, but the spacecraft also carries a camera and will test satellite-to-satellite Internet communications through the Globalstar network.
• ISX, or the Ionospheric Scintillation Explorer, is a 3-unit CubeSat developed by SRI International and Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo, California. ISX will study plasma irregularities in the upper atmosphere by measuring its affect on digital TV signals produced on the ground.
• NMTSat is a 3-unit CubeSat from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, New Mexico. NMTSat carries instruments to collect data on Earth's magnetic field and high altitude plasma density, take atmospheric weather measurements, and conduct an optical beacon experiment.
• RSat is a 3-unit CubeSat from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The RSat spacecraft includes two articulating miniature robotic arms, which will be tested in orbit to assess their suitability for latching onto other satellites in orbit for inspection and repair.
• Shields 1 is a 3-unit CubeSat from NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Shields 1 will test new radiation shielding technologies that could be used on future small satellites.
• STF 1, or Simulation-to-Flight 1, is a 3-unit CubeSat developed through a collaboration between NASA's Independent Verification and Validation Program, West Virginia University, and West Virginia small businesses. STF 1 is the first spacecraft to be built in West Virginia, and it will serve as a testbed for new satellite software that can be developed on any laptop or desktop computer.
  

In addition to the 10 CubeSats to be launched through NASA's ELaNa program, there are three more nanosatellites se t for liftoff on top of the Electron rocket in New Zealand. NASA also provided a launch opportunity for:

[/li]
• AeroCube 11 consists of two nearly identical 3-unit CubeSats developed by the Aerospace Corp. in El Segundo, California. The AeroCube 11 mission's two CubeSats, named TOMSat EagleScout and TOMSat R3, will test miniaturized imagers. One of the CubeSats carries a pushbroom imager to collect vegetation data for comparison to the much larger Operational Land Imager aboard the Landsat series of satellites, and the other TOMSat CubeSat has a focal plane array on-board to take pictures of Earth, the moon and stars.
• SHFT 2, also known as the Space-Based High Frequency Testbed, is a 3-unit CubeSat owned by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and developed in partnership with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The CubeSat launching with Rocket Lab is the second of the JPL-designed satellites, according to DARPA spokesperson Jared Adams, and will study variations in the plasma density of the ionosphere by collecting high-frequency radio signals, including those from natural galactic background emissions, from Jupiter, and from transmitters on Earth.
  

[свернуть]

Rocket Lab's Electron vehicle joins NASA's 'catalog' of available launchers

Спойлер

NASA currently does not have any more missions booked with Rocket Lab, but the Electron rocket will be among the launcher options available to the agency's future Explorer-class missions of opportunity, a family of science missions with costs typically capped at $55 million.

A document updated Monday attached to a recent draft call for a new NASA Explorer mission of opportunity proposals lists the Rocket Lab Electron and Virgin Orbit LauncherOne as potential rockets for missions requiring a dedicated launch.

"There are missions within NASA that are looking at these particular vehicles," Skrobot said Tuesday. "We do offer these in our missions of opportunity. You'll see when we start releasing our missions of opportunity for our SMEX AOs or our MIDEX AOs (small and medium-class Explorer missions), you'll see a section in there for missions of opportunity using these types of vehicles."

"We have Virgin and Rocket Lab in what we call our catalog, and the catalog identifies all the options for small payloads, be it a CubeSat flying in a deployer, flying on our EELV (Atlas 5, Delta 4, or Falcon 9) vehicles on an ESPA, and we also have Rocket Lab and Virgin Orbit on there as well as opportunities.

"There is still some risk with Virgin (Orbit) right now because they haven't flown yet, so we're keeping our eye on that and we'll tell our customers that once they start flying we'll have more data and we'll be able to give them better insight into that. But now with Rocket Lab online, they've already had a couple of successful flights ... we'll be able to offer it to our NASA customers."

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьLaunching soon: Rocket Lab's ELaNa-19 mission for NASA

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

Опубликовано: 11 дек. 2018 г.

NASA's first Venture Class mission, ELaNa 19, is launching on Electron and we couldn't be more excited. The launch window is open from 13 - 21 December UTC. Small satellites are about to get a first class ride to orbit.

Цитировать‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 2 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1074090160436867073)

Welcome to launch day! We are currently targeting no earlier than 06:16 UTC for today's #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) mission for NASA. (19:16 NZDT/ 22:16 PST/ 01:16 EST)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173095.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 17:16 (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1074110936212881408) - 15 дек. 2018 г.

Electron is vertical on the pad for today's #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) launch.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173102.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1074074226552946688)

Well, we've heard nothing from Rocket Lab or Peter for a few days, but let's stick with this Sunday opportunity as ongoing plan!

Preview Article:
Rocket Lab prepares for Electron launch of ELaNa-XIX -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/12/rocket-lab-nasa-mission-electron-elana-xix/ ... (https://t.co/XxRvhtP66k)

- By Thomas Burghardt (@TGMetsFan98 (https://twitter.com/TGMetsFan98)).

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173083.jpg)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173084.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173085.jpg)

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьWatch Rocket Lab launch ElaNa-19 with me, live from Mahia, New Zealand!

Trevor Mahlmann (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyMr3SoLYu-PeAINAL-50xA)

Запланировано на 15 дек. 2018 г.

youtube.com/watch?v=N5T0ow6tZkI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5T0ow6tZkI)

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/1074140959149936640)

We are GO for LOX fill! Get ready to see Electron's stages turn from black to white, as chilled liquid oxygen fills the fuel tanks & creates a thin layer of ice on the outside of the rocket. (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125620.png)

ЦитироватьThe Kick Stage: Responsible Orbital Deployment

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/210001.jpg)

BLOG: The kick stage is a nimble but powerful extra stage on Electron, designed to circularize the orbits of small satellites. It takes small satellites exactly where they want to go, offering unmatched precision and flexibility for orbital deployment.

The kick stage is powered by the Curie engine, named after the physicist and chemist Marie Curie, and is developed and manufactured in-house by Rocket Lab. Much like Rocket Lab's Rutherford engine, the Curie engine employs 3D printing (additive manufacturing) techniques for speedy production.

After Electron's second stage takes the kick stage to an elliptical orbit, the kick stage separates and begins a coast phase while carrying its small satellite payload. Once reaching apogee, the highest point in the elliptical orbit, the Curie engine ignites. Fr om here, the Curie engine raises the perigee, the lowest point in the orbit, until the kick stage is orbiting the Earth in a circle rather than an ellipse.

Once in this circular orbit, the kick stage has a special way of deploying multiple satellites. It employs a cold gas reaction control system to precisely point itself to deploy satellites, and the Curie engine can be reignited multiple times to move to a different position. This means small satellites can go to independent, yet highly precise, orbits even as part of rideshare missions where they hitch a ride along with other satellites. This method also avoids the risk of recontact between satellites on deployment, as we can control exactly when and where each satellite is released. Essentially, they won't bump into each other as they are released.

After all payloads are deployed, the kick stage has the ability to reorient itself and reignite the Curie engine one last time to perform a deorbit manoeuvre. This drastically lowers the kick stage's orbit, enabling it to re-enter the atmosphere and burn up without a trace once its work in space is done.

Now, remember the second stage that was left in an elliptical orbit before the kick stage separated? It too is deorbited quickly and burned up, thanks to experiencing significant drag at the lowest point of its orbit wh ere it dips into the Earth's atmosphere. Rocket Lab designed this system specifically to leave nothing in orbit but the satellites we launch. We're determined to be part of the solution for sustainability and orbital debris reduction in space.

ЦитироватьELaNa 19 Launch - 12/16/2018

youtube.com/watch?v=F7Kr3664hJs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Kr3664hJs)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1074175788776226821)

LOX fill is complete! Launch webcast link: https://youtu.be/F7Kr3664hJs  (https://t.co/p6FYkUzRz0) The feed will be live approx. 15 minutes prior to target lift-off at 06:16 UTC

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173101.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185344.jpg)NASA_LSP‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_LSP (https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP) сейчас (https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP/status/1074181842650177536)

There is a great mix of 10 CubeSat spacecraft aboard the #VentureClass (https://twitter.com/hashtag/VentureClass?src=hash) #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) mission, including government and academia missions.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173110.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 39 с. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1074183766740889601)

Hold! New target T-0 is 06:33 UTC (19:33 NZDT)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 28 с. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1074187496412467201)

Final flight poll is complete, we are GO for terminal count! #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) #ThisOnesForPickering (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisOnesForPickering?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185344.jpg)NASA_LSP‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_LSP (https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP) 1 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP/status/1074188264607764480)

A plethora of patches for this mission: #VentureClass (https://twitter.com/hashtag/VentureClass?src=hash), @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) "Meatball", @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) launch 4, & a very special #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) patch, honoring the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shootings: the stars represent the victims and the hearts coming out of the dispenser are the spacecraft.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173112.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1074191080348925952)

LAUNCH! Rocket Lab Electron launches with the ELaNa-XIX mission!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173113.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173114.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173115.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1074193256773169152)

Electron is orbital. #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) #ThisOnesForPickering (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisOnesForPickering?src=hash)

Цитировать12/16/2018 09:43 Spaceflight Now

The rocket's Curie kick stage has separated. It will ignite at T+plus 50 minutes for a roughly 90-second firing to circularize its orbit around 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth, then deploy the 13 CubeSats on-board.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1074194570584485888)

This launch will be international designation 2018-104

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/30213.jpg)Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck) 24 сек. назад (https://twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck/status/1074195344584372225)

Perfect transfer orbit!

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185344.jpg)NASA_LSP‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_LSP (https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP/status/1074194843654635521)

We are currently in a planned ~40 minute coast phase, which will be followed by a final orbit circularization burn prior to #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) CubeSat deployment. #VentureClass (https://twitter.com/hashtag/VentureClass?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173116.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/1074198377884053505)

Beautiful view of today's kick stage separation. #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) #ThisOnesForPickering (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisOnesForPickering?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173117.jpg)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab Electron launches NASA ELaNa XIX

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

Опубликовано: 15 дек. 2018 г.

Цитировать12/16/2018 10:25 Spaceflight Now

Shutdown of the Curie kick stage is confirmed after a planned 90-second firing to circularize its orbit at an altitude of around 310 miles (500 kilometers) before deployment of the mission's 13 nanosatellites.

The kick stage burns a non-toxic "green" monopropellant, but specific details of the fuel have not been released by Rocket Lab.

Цитировать12/16/2018 10:27 Spaceflight Now

Rocket Lab says all 13 satellites have been deployed, completing the company's third successful Electron launch in a row. Ground teams working on each CubeSat mission will now wait for radio signals from their satellites confirming their health following today's launch.

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/1074204768145367041)

All payloads deployed!! Perfect mission.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185344.jpg)NASA_LSP‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_LSP (https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP) 29 с. назад (https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP/status/1074206086541074433)

Payload deployment complete for @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA)'s first #VentureClass (https://twitter.com/hashtag/VentureClass?src=hash) mission, #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash)! Thanks to @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) for the great ride in orbit! For all of our CubeSat teams, we wish you all the best of luck on your scientific data collections! Follow @NASA_LSP (https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP) for future launch updates.

ЦитироватьELaNa 19 Launch - 12/16/2018

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

Трансляция началась 82 минуты назад

Liftoff of the ELaNa 19 mission for NASA occurred at 06:33 UTC on December 16 2018 from the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand.

ЦитироватьRocket Lab Electron ELaNa XIX satellites deployment

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

Опубликовано: 15 дек. 2018 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184946.jpg)Mark Jessop‏ @darksidelemm (https://twitter.com/darksidelemm) 1:01 (https://twitter.com/darksidelemm/status/1074228002123182080) - 16 дек. 2018 г.

Spotted one signal on ~437.560 MHz on the first @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) / @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) pass over Australia. Possibly CHOMPTT, though haven't been able to decode yet. Thanks to @coastal8049 (https://twitter.com/coastal8049) for help with fitting the pre-launch TLE, pass appears to be ~22s early. #hamr (https://twitter.com/hashtag/hamr?src=hash)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184946.jpg)Mark Jessop‏ @darksidelemm (https://twitter.com/darksidelemm) 1:08 (https://twitter.com/darksidelemm/status/1074229822753107968) - 16 дек. 2018 г.

Confirmed this signal is CHOMPTT, 1k2 AFSK! Decoded using UZ7HO's soundmodem. #hamr (https://twitter.com/hashtag/hamr?src=hash) #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67532.jpg)Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 2 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/1074269617881632768)

Magic happens when @TheFavoritist (https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist) and @TrevorMahlmann (https://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann) set up cameras on the pad. These two captured Electron in stunning detail for the @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) #ELaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ELaNa19?src=hash) launch. #GoElectron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoElectron?src=hash)

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(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173130.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184899.jpg) Trevor Mahlmann‏ @TrevorMahlmann (https://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann) 25 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann/status/1074291572475289610)

Electron brings the thunder(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125605.png) Rocket Lab takes to the skies on its first NASA mission! Honored to have been able to place multiple cameras at Launch Complex-1 for this historic venture class mission. Hope to do it again someday real soon! (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125427.png)http://tmahlmann.com/photos/Rockets/Rocket-Lab/ElaNa-XIX/ ... (https://t.co/UKgumjMLop)

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ЦитироватьRocket Lab successfully launches NASA CubeSats to orbit on first ever Venture Class Launch Services mission

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/210019.jpg)

Rocket Lab successfully launches NASA CubeSats to orbit on first ever Venture Class Launch Services mission

The mission follows just five weeks after the successful 'It's Business Time' launch in November, and marks Rocket Lab's third orbital launch for 2018

Huntington Beach, California – December 16, 2018 – US small satellite launch company Rocket Lab has launched its third orbital mission of 2018, successfully deploying satellites to orbit for NASA. The mission, designated Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa)-19 , took place just over a month after Rocket Lab's last successful orbital launch, 'It's Business Time.' Rocket Lab has launched a total of 24 satellites to orbit in 2018.

On Sunday, December 16, 2018 UTC, Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle successfully lifted off at 06:33 UTC (19:33 NZDT) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Māhia Peninsula. After being launched to an elliptical orbit, Electron's Curie engine-powered kick stage separated from the vehicle's second stage before circularizing to a 500x500 km orbit at an 85 degree inclination. By 56 minutes into the mission, the 13 satellites on board were individually deployed to their precise, designated orbits.

Until now, launch opportunities for small satellites have mostly been limited to rideshare-type arrangements, flying only when space is available on large launch vehicles. This mission, awarded under a Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) Agreement, marks the first time NASA CubeSats received a dedicated ride to orbit on a commercial launch vehicle. VCLS is managed by NASA's Launch Services Program headquartered at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck says the ELaNa-19 mission represents a forward-thinking approach from NASA to acquiring launch services and recognizes the increasingly significant role small satellites are playing in exploration, technology demonstration, research and education.

Спойлер

"The ELaNa-19 mission was a significant one for NASA, the Rocket Lab team and the small satellite industry overall. To launch two missions just five weeks apart, and in the first year of orbital flights, is unprecedented. It's exactly what the small satellite industry desperately needs, and Rocket Lab is proud to be delivering it. Regular and reliable launch is now a reality for small satellites. The wait is over," says Rocket Lab CEO and founder Peter Beck. "We're providing small satellite customers with more control than they've ever had, enabling them to launch on their own schedule, to precise orbits, as frequently as they need to."

NASA ELaNa-19 Mission Manager Justin Treptow adds, "The CubeSats of ELaNa-19 represent a large variety of scientific objectives and technology demonstrations. With this the first launch of a Venture Class Launch Service on the Rocket Lab Electron, NASA now has an option to match our small satellite missions with a dedicated small launch vehicle to place these satellites in an optimal orbit to achieve big results."

The ELaNa-19 launch webcast can be viewed in full at http://youtu.be/F7Kr3664hJs and images from the mission are available in the media library at www.rocketlabusa.com/news/updates/link-to-rocket-lab-imagery-and-video (https://www.rocketlabusa.com/news/updates/link-to-rocket-lab-imagery-and-video)

[свернуть]

The next Rocket Lab Electron vehicle will be on the pad at Launch Complex 1 in January 2019. For real-time updates and mission announcements, follow Rocket Lab on Twitter @RocketLab.

Photo credit: Trevor Mahlmann

ЦитироватьRocket Lab launches cubesats for NASA
by Jeff Foust (https://spacenews.com/author/jeff-foust/) — December 16, 2018

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/191565.jpg)
A Rocket Lab Electron carrying 13 cubesats lifts off Dec. 16 from the company's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Credit: Rocket Lab/Trevor Mahlmann

WASHINGTON — A Rocket Lab Electron rocket successfully launched a group of cubesats Dec. 16 on a mission funded by NASA as the company looks ahead to more frequent launches in the next year.

The Electron rocket lifted off from the company's Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula at 1:33 a.m. Eastern. The rocket placed a kick stage containing the 13 satellites into orbit nine minutes after launch. About 40 minutes, later, the kick stage ignited for a 90-second burn, after which the satellites were placed into 500-kilometer circular orbits at an inclination of 85 degrees.

"All payloads deployed!! Perfect mission," Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, tweeted after the satellites were deployed.

NASA purchased the launch for its CubeSat Launch Initiative program, which provides launches for cubesats developed by academic institutions and NASA centers. This particular flight, known as Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 19, features three satellites built by NASA centers, six by universities and one by a charter school in Idaho.

The satellites range from those built primarily to give students experience in satellite development to those testing advanced technologies. RSat, developed at the U.S. Naval Academy, will test robotic arms planned for future satellite-servicing spacecraft. CubeSat, from the University of Illinois, will test soil sail technology. The Advanced Electrical Bus, or ALBus, satellite from NASA's Glenn Research Center will demonstrate new power systems and solar array deployment technologies.

The launch carried three satellites in addition to the 10 that were part of ELaNa-19. Two of the satellites, collectively known as AeroCube 11, were developed by the Aerospace Corporation to test advanced imaging technologies. The third, Space-Based High Frequency Testbed 2, was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to demonstrate using high-frequency radio signals to study the ionosphere.

Спойлер

NASA awarded Rocket Lab a contract for the launch in October 2015 through its Venture Class Launch Services program, an effort to develop dedicated launch services for cubesats and other smallsats. Previous ELaNa missions all used secondary payload, or rideshare, accommodations on NASA and other government launches, reducing the control they had over schedule and orbit.

"Matching ELaNa-19 with the Electron rocket gives these advanced scientific and educational satellites first-class tickets to space while providing valuable insight for potential NASA missions in the future," said Justin Treptow, NASA ELaNa-19 mission manager, prior to the launch.

Спойлер

NASA also awarded Venture Class Launch Services contracts in 2015 to Firefly Space Systems and Virgin Galactic. Firefly lost its contract when the company went through bankruptcy, reemerging as Firefly Aerospace.

Virgin Orbit, the company spun off from Virgin Galactic to develop and operate the LauncherOne air-launch system, is nearing its first launch. The NASA contract will be flown on the second LauncherOne flight, on a mission called ELaNa-20 scheduled no earlier than March 2019. That mission will carry 11 cubesats for universities and NASA's Ames Research Center.

[свернуть]

This launch was the third for Rocket Lab this year and second in a little more than one month. The company called this launch "This One's for Pickering" in honor of the late William Pickering, the New Zealand-born scientist who served as director of JPL from 1954 to 1976.

The company said in a post-launch statement that its next Electron "will be on the pad" in January, but didn't identify the customer. Company officials have previously said they expect to increase their launch cadence in 2019, flying missions at a rate of at least once per month. The company recently opened a factory in Auckland, New Zealand, designed to support the production of one Electron rocket per week.

"Regular and reliable launch is now a reality for small satellites. The wait is over," Beck said in the statement. "We're providing small satellite customers with more control than they've ever had, enabling them to launch on their own schedule, to precise orbits, as frequently as they need to."

Rocket Lab announced a $140 million Series E round Nov. 15 (https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-raises-an-additional-140-million/) that will help support that increased launch rate. The funding will support, among other efforts, construction of additional launch pads at Launch Complex 1 and the new Launch Complex 2 the company announced in October at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia.

"This funding also enables the continued aggressive scale-up of Electron production to support our targeted weekly flight rate," Beck said in a statement then about the new funding round. "It will also see us build additional launch pads and begin work on three major new R&D programs." The company said it will disclose details about those unspecified research and development efforts "in the new year."

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 8:49 (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1074345898744930306) - 16 дек. 2018 г.

The first three Electron payloads tracked in 495 x 511 km x 83.0 deg orbits, confirming successful launch. Object 43849, in a 211 x 509 km orbit, is the Electron second stage.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184899.jpg) Trevor Mahlmann‏ @TrevorMahlmann (https://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann) 29 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann/status/1074385442227740672)

Songs of fire & ice(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125343.png) Its not Business Time, #ThisOnesForPickering (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisOnesForPickering?src=hash) but this is The Business End(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125444.png) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125427.png)my #ElaNa19 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElaNa19?src=hash) gallery: http://tmahlmann.com/photos/Rockets/Rocket-Lab/ElaNa-XIX/i-QMB9Fb8/ ... (https://t.co/mToiAj69BS)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173133.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184899.jpg) Trevor Mahlmann‏ @TrevorMahlmann (https://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann/status/1074494726928248836)

*inhale* POWERRRR(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)
Electron's 9 first stage Rutherford engines are situated in an octaweb configuration with one engine in the center, and 8 around. In this photo you can see the 4 on the near side and center engine if you look closely.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)http://tmahlmann.com/photos/Rockets/Rocket-Lab/ElaNa-XIX/ ... (https://t.co/UKgumjvawR)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173162.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 55 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1074679137623773184)

15 objects now cataloged in the Electron 4 delivery orbit, as well as the second stage in transfer orbit. We were only expecting 13 payloads; extra 2 may be debris object (e.g. separated insulation from the kick stage)

ЦитироватьNASA's ELaNa-19: Small Satellites, Big Dreams

NASAKennedy (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjJtr2fFcUp6yljzJOzpHUg)

Опубликовано: 25 апр. 2019 г.

In December 2018, a Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched from remote Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand carrying a NASA payload of 10 small satellites called Educational Launch of Nanosatellites-19 (ELaNa-19). The Electron is one of two vehicles NASA selected for its Venture Class Launch Service, in which small satellites, called CubeSats, fly on rockets designed especially for their needs. In this documentary, learn how the first launch of the Venture Class era demonstrates how the right ride into space can enable the designers of small satellites—from high schools and universities to NASA field centers—to dream big.