30 μКА - Electron (fl 16) - Mahia, LC-1A – 20.11.2020 02:20 UTC

[tnt22]

https://www.rocketlabusa.com/about-us/updates/rocket-lab-to-launch-most-diverse-mission-yet/

Rocket Lab to Launch Most Diverse Mission Yet

Rocket Lab to Launch Most Diverse Mission Yet

• The mission will deploy 30 satellites to unique orbits using the Electron launch vehicle's Kick Stage space tug
• The satellites will enable internet from space, test new methods of deorbiting space debris, and enable research into predicting earthquakes
• The launch will also feature a 3D printed mass simulator for Valve's Gabe Newell to raise funds for Starship Children's Hospital

Long Beach, California. November 2, 2020 – Leading space systems company, Rocket Lab, has today announced its next Electron mission will feature a diverse range of payloads from the United States, France and New Zealand.

The mission, which will be Rocket Lab's 16^th Electron launch, will lift-off from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Māhia Peninsula during a 14-day launch window that opens on November 16 NZT / November 15 UTC.

Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle will loft 30 satellites to a sun-synchronous orbit at 500 km altitude for a range of customers, including TriSept, Unseenlabs, Swarm Technologies, Te Pūnaha Ātea - Auckland Space Institute, and Gabe Newell, co-founder of global gaming software company Valve. The satellites span a range of operations, from TriSept's tech demonstration of new tether systems designed to accelerate spacecraft reentry and reduce orbital debris, through to the next generation of maritime surveillance satellites for Unseenlabs, as well as communications satellites for Swarm Technolgies. The mission will also deploy New Zealand's first student-built satellite, the APSS-1 satellite for Te Pūnaha Ātea - Auckland Space Institute at The University of Auckland.

A mass simulator will also be fixed to this mission's Kick Stage in the form of a 3D printed gnome created for Valve's Gabe Newell by multi-award-winning design studio Weta Workshop, the creative studio behind Lord of the Rings, Avatar, and Mulan. The unique space component is additively manufactured into the shape of Half-Life gaming icon Gnome Chompski. The mission serves as an homage to the innovation and creativity of gamers worldwide, and also aims to test and qualify a novel 3D printing technique that could be employed for future spacecraft components. Valve president, Gabe Newell, will be donating one dollar to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Starship Children's Hospital for every person who watches the launch online at www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream.

Despite launching together as a rideshare, each satellite will be deployed to a unique orbit thanks to Rocket Lab's Kick Stage. Once the Electron launch vehicle's second stage reaches orbit, the Kick Stage separates and takes over as a space tug to conduct the final leg of the journey, providing propulsion and pointing to deliver multiple satellites to precise, individual orbits.

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO, says "Small satellite operators shouldn't have to compromise on orbits when flying on a rideshare mission, and we're excited to provide tailored access to space for 30 satellites on this mission. It's why we created the Kick Stage to enable custom orbits on every mission, and eliminate the added complexity, time, and cost of having to develop your own spacecraft propulsion or using a third-party space tug."

About the payloads:

Payload: DRAGRACER

Organization: TriSept

The DRAGRACER mission will test the effectiveness of new tether technologies designed to accelerate spacecraft reentry and reduce orbital debris at the conclusion of space missions. TriSept has completed the integration of a pair of qualified Millennium Space Systems 6U small satellites, one featuring the tether drag device and one without. The controlled spacecraft should deorbit in approximately 45 days, while the second spacecraft is expected to remain in orbit for seven to nine years, according to Tethers Unlimited, developer of the 70-meter-long (230 feet) Terminator Tape aboard the control satellite.

Payload: BRO-2 and BRO-3

Organization: Unseenlabs

BRO-2 and BRO-3 are the second and third satellites in French company Unseenlabs' planned constellation of about 20 satellites dedicated to maritime surveillance. The first BRO satellite was launched to orbit by Rocket Lab in August 2019. Unseenlabs' constellation enables improved monitoring of activities at sea, such as illegal fishing and anti-environmental behavior. Thanks to a unique proprietary technology, the BRO satellites are the first to be able to independently and precisely locate and fingerprint Radio Frequency (RF) emitters all around the globe, day or night, in any weather condition, and without requiring any special embarked tracking device. With three satellites in orbit, Unseenlabs' clients can now benefit from the shortest revisit time available on the satellite RF geolocation market.

Payload: APSS-1

Organization: Te Pūnaha Ātea - Auckland Space Institute, The University of Auckland

The student-built Waka Āmiorangi Aotearoa APSS-1 satellite is designed to monitor electrical activity in Earth's upper atmosphere to test whether ionospheric disturbances can predict earthquakes. The data from this mission will deliver deeper knowledge of these hard-to-access altitudes and drive understanding of how phenomena such as solar wind and geophysical events affect this atmospheric region.

Payload: Spacebees

Organization: Swarm Technologies

Swarm will launch the latest 24 1/4U SpaceBEE satellites to continue building out its planned constellation of 150 satellites to provide affordable satellite communications services to IoT devices in remote regions around the world. Swarm's uniquely small satellites enable the company to provide network services and user hardware at the industry's lowest cost and deliver maximum value to customers across a range of industries including maritime shipping, agriculture, energy, and ground transportation. The SpaceBEES will be integrated into two of Rocket Lab's 3U Maxwell CubeSat dispensers for orbital deployment.

Mass Simulator: Gnome Chompski

Organization: Gabe Newell, Founder of Valve Software

Manufactured with support from multi-award-winning design studio Weta Workshop, the unique space component is additively manufactured from titanium and printed in the shape of Half-Life gaming icon Gnome Chompski. The mission serves as an homage to the innovation and creativity of gamers worldwide, and also aims to test and qualify a novel 3D printing technique that could be employed for future spacecraft components. The 150 mm gnome will remain attached to the Kick Stage during all mission phases and will burn up upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere during the de-orbiting process.

[tnt22]

https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/

NEXT MISSION: FLIGHT 16

Mission Name		Flight 16			Launch Window		14-day launch window opens Nov 15 UTC
Rocket		Electron			Electron Name		Electron
Launch Time		TBC			Launch Site		Launch Complex 1

MISSION OVERVIEW

This mission, which will be Rocket Lab's 16^th Electron launch, will lift-off from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Māhia Peninsula during a 14-day launch window that opens on November 16 NZT / November 15 UTC.
 
Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle will loft 30 satellites to a sun-synchronous orbit at 500 km altitude for a range of customers, including TriSept, Unseenlabs, Swarm, Te Pūnaha Ātea - Auckland Space Institute, and global gaming software company Valve. The satellites span a range of operations, from TriSept's tech demonstration of new tether systems designed to accelerate spacecraft reentry and reduce orbital debris, through to the next generation of maritime surveillance satellites for Unseenlabs, as well as communications satellites for Swarm. The mission will also deploy New Zealand's first student-built satellite, the APSS-1 satellite for Te Pūnaha Ātea - Auckland Space Institute at The University of Auckland.

Payload: DRAGRACER

Organization: TriSept

The DRAGRACER mission will test the effectiveness of new tether technologies designed to accelerate spacecraft reentry and reduce orbital debris at the conclusion of space missions. TriSept has completed the integration of a pair of qualified Millennium Space Systems 6U small satellites, one featuring the tether drag device and one without. The controlled spacecraft should deorbit in approximately 45 days, while the second spacecraft is expected to remain in orbit for seven to nine years, according to Tethers Unlimited, developer of the 70-meter-long (230 feet) Terminator Tape aboard the control satellite.

Payload: BRO-2 and BRO-3

Organization: Unseenlabs

BRO-2 and BRO-3 are the second and third satellites in French company Unseenlabs' planned constellation of about 20 satellites dedicated to maritime surveillance. The first BRO satellite was launched to orbit by Rocket Lab in August 2019. Unseenlabs' constellation enables improved monitoring of activities at sea, such as illegal fishing and anti-environmental behavior. Thanks to a unique proprietary technology, the BRO satellites are the first to be able to independently and precisely locate and fingerprint Radio Frequency (RF) emitters all around the globe, day or night, in any weather condition, and without requiring any special embarked tracking device. With three satellites in orbit, Unseenlabs' clients can now benefit from the shortest revisit time available on the satellite RF geolocation market.

Payload: APSS-1

Organization: Te Pūnaha Ātea - Auckland Space Institute, The University of Auckland

The student-built Waka Āmiorangi Aotearoa APSS-1 satellite is designed to monitor electrical activity in Earth's upper atmosphere to test whether ionospheric disturbances can predict earthquakes. The data from this mission will deliver deeper knowledge of these hard-to-access altitudes and drive understanding of how phenomena such as solar wind and geophysical events affect this atmospheric region.

Payload: Spacebees

Organization: Swarm Technologies

Swarm will launch the latest 24 1/4U SpaceBEE satellites to continue building out its planned constellation of 150 satellites to provide affordable satellite communications services to IoT devices in remote regions around the world. Swarm's uniquely small satellites enable the company to provide network services and user hardware at the industry's lowest cost and deliver maximum value to customers across a range of industries including maritime shipping, agriculture, energy, and ground transportation. The SpaceBEES will be integrated into two of Rocket Lab's 3U Maxwell CubeSat dispensers for orbital deployment.

Mass Simulator:Gnome Chompski

Organization: Gabe Newell, Founder of Valve Software

Manufactured with support from multi-award-winning design studio Weta Workshop, the unique space component is additively manufactured from titanium and printed in the shape of Half-Life gaming icon Gnome Chompski. The mission serves as an homage to the innovation and creativity of gamers worldwide, and also aims to test and qualify a novel 3D printing technique that could be employed for future spacecraft components. The 150 mm gnome will remain attached to the Kick Stage during all mission phases and will burn up upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere during the de-orbiting process.

[tnt22]

 Rocket Lab @RocketLab 1 ч. назад

A mission that will enable internet from space, test new methods of deorbiting space debris, enable research into predicting earthquakes, and send a gnome to space? We've packed a lot into our next launch.

Launch window opens Nov 15 UTC from LC-1. More: https://bit.ly/383sXFT


1 ч. назад

Our next launch will see Electron deploy 30 satellites from LC-1 Pad A for a diverse range of mission partners, incl. @Trisept777, @UnseenLabs, @swarminternet, Te Pūnaha Ātea - Auckland Space Institute, and Gabe Newell of @valvesoftware.


56 мин. назад

We're proud to be building out @UnseenLabs constellation of maritime surveillance satellites. Welcome aboard BRO-2 and BRO-3!

Unseenlabs @UnseenLabs 1 ч. назад


No description needed. Just watch, listen, enjoy !!

#OperationConstellation #Announcement #1Mission2MoreSats @RocketLab

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1323306320188100610/pu/vid/1280x720/ZWs8YWv2wSQlPL6_.mp4 (1:50)

33 мин. назад

Our next launch features a very special mass simulator - a 3D printed Half-Life Gnome Chompski created for @valvesoftware co-founder Gabe Newell by design studio @WetaWorkshop.

For every person who watches the launch online, Gabe will donate $1 to Starship Children's Hospital.

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 Swarm Technologies @SwarmInternet 14 окт.

Our next 24 #satellites are ready to go! They will be launching with @RocketLab out of New Zealand in November.

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 Matthew Bailey @Cyborgmatt 2 нояб.

Gabe Newell is sending a Gnome Chompski to space for charity and will donate $1 for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Starship Children's Hospital for each person that watches either live or within 24 hours of launch.

Launch timing details: http://rocketlabusa.com/next-mission

[tnt22]

https://news.mail.ru/society/44020887/?frommail=10

Миллиардер отправит в космос гнома
Это благотворительная акция для детской больницы в Новой Зеландии.

Миллиардер и гендиректор компании-разработчика компьютерных игр Valve Гейб Ньюэлл отправит в космос напечатанного на 3D-принтере гнома.

Так он намерен помочь отделению интенсивной терапии детской больницы Starship в новозеландском городе Окленд, сообщает Business Insider.

https://twitter.com/Cyborgmatt/status/1323327265770491905

Ньюэлл переведет медицинскому заведению по 1 доллару за каждого человека, который посмотрит 24-часовую трансляцию запуска ракеты в прямом эфире. По данным издания, миллиардер хочет отблагодарить страну за гостеприимство — он вынужденно оставался в Новой Зеландии долгое время из-за пандемии коронавируса.

Дизайн гнома высотой 15 см поручили разработать Weta Workshop — новозеландской компании по спецэффектам и реквизиту, которая известна работой над «Властелином колец» и «Аватаром». Фигурка должна быть похожа на Гнома Хомпски, персонажа видеоигры Half-Life 2.

Гном отправится в космос вместе с 30 спутниками на ракете аэрокосмической компании Rocket Lab 16 ноября.

Анна Лысенко

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Road To Reusability

 Rocket Lab

5 нояб. 2020 г.

Rocket Lab will attempt to recover the first stage of its Electron rocket during its next mission, the 'Return to Sender' launch, scheduled for lift-off in mid-November. The test will see Rocket Lab attempt to bring Electron's first stage back to Earth under a parachute system for a controlled water landing before collection by a recovery vessel.

The mission will be the first time Rocket Lab has attempted to recover a stage after launch and is a major milestone in Rocket Lab's pursuit to make Electron a reusable rocket to support an increased launch cadence for small satellite missions.

youtu.be/7xGktkbXBpw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xGktkbXBpw (3:20)

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 Rocket Lab @RocketLab 22 мин. назад

Our first recovery mission is coming sooner than you might think. #ReturnToSender

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1324427266563076096/pu/vid/1280x720/gc0KzRlbWyTn8PwH.mp4 (1:11)


18 мин. назад

For the first time, we're attempting to bring the first stage of an Electron launch vehicle back to Earth under a parachute after launch. The window for the Return to Sender mission opens November 16 UTC.

youtu.be/7xGktkbXBpw


17 мин. назад

I know we said flight 17 for recovery but...

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 Spaceflight Now @SpaceflightNow 22 мин. назад

On its next mission in mid-November, Rocket Lab will try to recover the first stage of its Electron small satellite launcher intact in the Pacific Ocean south of the company's New Zealand spaceport.

It's a big step toward reusing Electron boosters.

MORE: https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/11/05/rocket-lab-to-attempt-booster-recovery-on-next-mission/...

[tnt22]

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2020/11/03/new-zealand-s-first-student-built-satellite-ready-for-lift-off.html

New Zealand's first student-built satellite ready for lift off
3 November 2020

New Zealand's first satellite designed and built by university students is about to be launched into space via Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle.


Francis Moynihan Lavey and cube sat

University of Auckland students conceived, designed and built the satellite which they have named Te Waka Āmiorangi o Aotearoa (the New Zealand satellite vessel) APSS-1. It will be lofted to sun-synchronous orbit at 500 km altitude as one of 30 satellites aboard Rocket Lab's 16th Electron launch this month. The launch will take place from Rocket Lab's launch site on the Māhia Peninsula.

It's been a three-and-a-half-year journey that has seen more than 26 students contribute to the project.

"I never really thought I could be a part of something that involved space, I thought it was something other people did," says Bachelor of Engineering graduate Francis Moynihan Lavey.

"A lot of hard work went into this project and at times it was stressful. Looking back, I feel a sense of relief and liberation that we've reached the goal."

The satellite the students designed will measure electrical activity in the upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere right at the edge of space, a region known as the ionosphere. Because the ionosphere is ionised by solar and cosmic radiation and is affected by phenomena such as solar winds, it is uniquely reactive to changing magnetic and electrical conditions. That means it affects radio and GPS signals here on Earth including television, internet and telephone communications.

But scientists are also curious to what extent and how the ionosphere is affected by geophysical activity on Earth, including whether the electrical disturbances that occur in the ionosphere might be correlated with earthquakes. Insights into the ionosphere might also help us better prepare for disruption to communications technologies.

Te Waka Āmiorangi o Aotearoa is part of a Rocket Lab 'rideshare' where each satellite can be deployed to a unique orbit via Rocket Lab's Kick Stage. This means once the Electron launch vehicle's second stage reaches orbit, the Kick Stage separates and takes over as a space 'tug' for the final leg of the journey, providing propulsion and pointing to deliver multiple satellites to precise, individual orbits.

"The APSS-1 mission is a triumph for the students and faculty at the University of Auckland and a significant step for the New Zealand space industry overall," says Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck.

"Less than four years ago we didn't have domestic space launch capability and now, we're launching New Zealand's first student-built satellite from kiwi soil. It marks the beginning of a whole new era of space research, development, and opportunity for local students."

The APSS-1 project was multi-disciplinary, encouraging undergraduates across different faculties – including Engineering, Science and Business and Arts – to work together to come up with the concept for a satellite. Participants have gone on to work in the aerospace industry both in New Zealand and overseas including at NASA.

"The project is really an exciting story about students having the opportunity to do something extraordinary and stretch their imagination beyond the edges of our planet, readying them for the challenges of the future," says Faculty of Engineering director of Auckland Programme for Space Systems, Jim Hefkey.

The Auckland Programme for Space Systems is supported by US-based engineering alumnus Neil Paton and his wife Louise. Their philanthropic support has been fundamental to allowing delivery of the programme and in supporting the students to design, develop and ultimately launch the satellite.

[tnt22]

К #1 - обновлено

https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/

NEXT MISSION: FLIGHT 16

Mission Name		Return to Sender			Launch Window		14-day launch window opens Nov 15 UTC
Rocket		Electron			Launch Time		01:44 - 04:34 UTC
Electron Name		Return to Sender			Launch Site		Launch Complex 1

MISSION OVERVIEW

The 'Return to Sender' mission, which will be Rocket Lab's 16th Electron launch, will lift-off from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Māhia Peninsula.

The 14-day launch window is scheduled to open on November 16 UTC, with lift-off scheduled between 01:44 - 04:34 UTC.

NZT: 16 Nov (14:44 - 17:34)

PT:15 Nov (17:44 - 20:34)

ET: 15 Nov (20:44 - 23:34)
 
Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle will loft 30 satellites to a sun-synchronous orbit at 500 km altitude for a range of customers, including TriSept, Unseenlabs, Swarm, Auckland Space Institute, and global gaming software company Valve. The satellites span a range of operations, from TriSept's tech demonstration of new tether systems designed to accelerate spacecraft reentry and reduce orbital debris, through to the next generation of maritime surveillance satellites for Unseenlabs, as well as communications satellites for Swarm. The mission will also deploy New Zealand's first student-built satellite, the APSS-1 satellite for Te Pūnaha Ātea - Auckland Space Institute at The University of Auckland.

Rocket Lab will also attempt to bring Electron's first stage back to Earth under a parachute system for a controlled water landing before collection by a recovery vessel. It will be the first time Rocket Lab has attempted to recover a stage after launch and is a major milestone in Rocket Lab's pursuit to make Electron a reusable rocket to support an increased launch cadence for small satellites.

Payloads on board:

Payload: DRAGRACER

Organization: TriSept

The DRAGRACER mission will test the effectiveness of new tether technologies designed to accelerate spacecraft reentry and reduce orbital debris at the conclusion of space missions. TriSept has completed the integration of a pair of qualified Millennium Space Systems 6U small satellites, one featuring the tether drag device and one without. The controlled spacecraft should deorbit in approximately 45 days, while the second spacecraft is expected to remain in orbit for seven to nine years, according to Tethers Unlimited, developer of the 70-meter-long (230 feet) Terminator Tape aboard the control satellite.

Payload: BRO-2 and BRO-3

Organization: Unseenlabs

BRO-2 and BRO-3 are the second and third satellites in French company Unseenlabs' planned constellation of about 20 satellites dedicated to maritime surveillance. The first BRO satellite was launched to orbit by Rocket Lab in August 2019. Unseenlabs' constellation enables improved monitoring of activities at sea, such as illegal fishing and anti-environmental behavior. Thanks to a unique proprietary technology, the BRO satellites are the first to be able to independently and precisely locate and fingerprint Radio Frequency (RF) emitters all around the globe, day or night, in any weather condition, and without requiring any special embarked tracking device. With three satellites in orbit, Unseenlabs' clients can now benefit from the shortest revisit time available on the satellite RF geolocation market.

Payload: APSS-1

Organization: Auckland Programme for Space Systems, The University of Auckland

The student-built Waka Āmiorangi Aotearoa APSS-1 satellite is designed to monitor electrical activity in Earth's upper atmosphere to test whether ionospheric disturbances might be linked to earthquakes. The data from this mission will deliver deeper knowledge of these hard-to-access altitudes and drive understanding of how phenomena such as solar wind and geophysical events affect this atmospheric region.

Payload: Spacebees

Organization: Swarm Technologies

Swarm will launch the latest 24 1/4U SpaceBEE satellites to continue building out its planned constellation of 150 satellites to provide affordable satellite communications services to IoT devices in remote regions around the world. Swarm's uniquely small satellites enable the company to provide network services and user hardware at the industry's lowest cost and deliver maximum value to customers across a range of industries including maritime shipping, agriculture, energy, and ground transportation. The SpaceBEES will be integrated into two of Rocket Lab's 3U Maxwell CubeSat dispensers for orbital deployment.

Mass Simulator:Gnome Chompski

Organization: Gabe Newell, Founder of Valve Software

Manufactured with support from multi-award-winning design studio Weta Workshop, the unique space component is additively manufactured from titanium and printed in the shape of Half-Life gaming icon Gnome Chompski. The mission serves as an homage to the innovation and creativity of gamers worldwide, and also aims to test and qualify a novel 3D printing technique that could be employed for future spacecraft components. The 150 mm gnome will remain attached to the Kick Stage during all mission phases and will burn up upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere during the de-orbiting process.

[tnt22]

https://www.rocketlabusa.com/about-us/updates/rocket-lab-to-attempt-first-stage-recovery-on-next-mission/

Rocket Lab to Attempt First Stage Recovery on Next Mission

For the first time, Rocket Lab will attempt to bring the first stage of an Electron launch vehicle back to Earth under a parachute after launch

Long Beach, California. November 5, 2020 – Rocket Lab has today revealed that it will attempt to recover the first stage of its Electron rocket during its next mission, the 'Return to Sender' launch, scheduled for lift-off in mid-November. The test will see Rocket Lab attempt to bring Electron's first stage back to Earth under a parachute system for a controlled water landing before collection by a recovery vessel.

The mission will be the first time Rocket Lab has attempted to recover a stage after launch and is a major milestone in Rocket Lab's pursuit to make Electron a reusable rocket to support an increased launch cadence for small satellite missions.
The 'Return to Sender' mission, which will be Rocket Lab's 16th Electron launch, will lift-off from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Māhia Peninsula. The 14-day launch window is scheduled to open on November 16 UTC (November 15 PT / ET) with lift-off to take place between 01:44 – 04:34 UTC (17:44 – 20:34 PT / 20:44 – 23:34 ET). The mission will see Electron deploy 30 payloads for a range of small satellite customers to a 500km sun-synchronous orbit, with the recovery attempt a secondary objective of the launch.

"Recovering the first stage of a small launch vehicle is uncharted territory. What we're trying to achieve with Electron is an incredibly difficult and complex challenge, but one we're willing to pursue to further boost launch cadence and deliver even more frequent launch opportunities to small satellite operators," says Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO. "Bringing a whole first stage back intact is the ultimate goal, but success for this mission is really about gaining more data, particularly on the drogue and parachute deployment system. Regardless of the condition the stage comes back in, we'll learn a great deal from this test and use it to iterate forward for the next attempt."

Electron's first stage will undertake the following complex maneuvers on its journey back to Earth:

• Approximately two and a half minutes after lift-off, at an altitude of around 80 km, Electron's first and second stages will separate per standard mission procedure. Electron's second stage will continue into orbit, where the Kick Stage will separate and deploy the satellites.
• With the engines now shut down on Electron's first stage, a reaction control system will re-orient the stage 180-degrees to place it on an ideal angle for re-entry, designed to enable it to survive the incredible heat and pressure known as "the wall" during its descent back to Earth.
• After decelerating to <Mach 2, a drogue parachute will be deployed to increase drag and to stabilize the first stage as it descends.
• In the final kilometres of descent, a large main parachute will be deployed to further slow the stage and enable a controlled splashdown.
• A Rocket Lab vessel will rendezvous with the stage after splashdown and retrieve it for transport back to Rocket Lab's Production Complex for inspection.

Electron's first stage is equipped with guidance and navigation hardware, a reaction control system, S-band telemetry, and onboard flight computer systems to support recovery. These standalone systems are dedicated exclusively to recovery and are entirely removed from the systems that carry out the primary mission functions of launch and payload deployment. 

Work on Rocket Lab's recovery program began in early 2019 and the 'Return to Sender' recovery attempt follows a series of successful tests of recovery and hardware systems over the past 18 months. These include a successful mid-air recovery capture of a test rocket stage by a helicopter; successful drogue and main parachute deployment tests in subsequent mock stage exercises dropped at altitude; and successfully guided re-entries of the Electron's first stage across two real missions in December 2019 and January 2020 respectively.

Following the outcome of this attempt, the final phase of Rocket Lab's recovery program will be to capture Electron's first stage mid-air by helicopter before the stage is returned to Rocket Lab production complexes for refurbishment and relaunch. If Rocket Lab's recovery program is successful, Electron would become the first and only reusable orbital-class small launch system in operation.

[tnt22]

 Rocket Lab @RocketLab 3 ч. назад

This rocket is going to space in less than a week...and then it's going to come back under a parachute. We figured that was worth a special paint job. http://rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/...

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Опубликованы уведомления мореплавателям

NOTMARs

HYDROPAC 3320/20

WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
NEW ZEALAND.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
    2344Z TO 0504Z DAILY 15 THRU 29 NOV:
    IN AREAS BOUND BY:
        A. 39-13.2S 177-50.8E, 39-13.2S 177-54.6E,
            39-17.0S 178-00.0E, 39-40.0S 177-50.5E,
            39-40.0S 177-43.0E, 39-14.5S 177-48.5E.
        B. 43-30.0S 175-30.0E, 43-30.0S 177-30.0E,
            47-30.0S 176-30.0E, 47-30.0S 175-00.0E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 300604Z NOV 20.//

Authority: CNW 232/20 091916Z NOV 20.

Date: 100830Z NOV 20
Cancel: 30060400 Nov 20



HYDROPAC 3321/20

WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
    2344Z TO 0504Z DAILY 15 THRU 29 NOV
    IN AREA BOUND BY
        53-48S 172-18E, 53-48S 173-18E,
        57-00S 172-18E, 57-00S 170-18E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 300604Z NOV 20.//

Authority: NAVAREA XIV 180/20 091921Z NOV 20.

Date: 100901Z NOV 20
Cancel: 30060400 Nov 20

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 Rocket Lab @RocketLab 4 мин. назад

The Kick Stage is stacked high with small sats for the #ReturnToSender mission! We're excited to be deploying a diverse set of satellites for @AucklandSpace, @Trisept777, @UnseenLabs, @SwarmInternet, and Gabe Newell of @valvesoftware. Learn more: http://rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/...

[tnt22]

Опубликован буклет о закрываемых вокруг космодрома зонах

F16-Return-to-Sender.pdf - 628.6 KB, 1 стр, 09.11.2020 22:40:33 UTC

When will the launch take place?

Launch window: 16 November to 30 November, 2020
Launch timing: 2:44 pm – 5:34 pm daily

For up-to-date information about launch activity,
visit rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission and
follow Rocket Lab on Twitter @RocketLab

Watch the livestream:
www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream.

Прим. Указано местное время (UTC +13h)

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Опубликована брошюра миссии

Return-to-Sender-Press-Kit-RL-Final.pdf - 3.6 MB, 9 стр, 10.11.2020 21:53:57 UTC

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LAUNCH INFORMATION

| LAUNCH WINDOW
| 16–30 November 2020

| LAUNCH SITE
| LAUNCH COMPLEX 1 MAHIA PENINSULA, NZ

DAILY LAUNCH OPPORTUNITY

NZT: 14:44–17:33 | PT (15 NOV): 17:44–20:33
UTC: 01:44–04:33 | ET (15 NOV): 20:44–23:33


Watch the live launch webcast: www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream

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MISSION OVERVIEW

'Return to Sender' will deploy 30 satellites to a 500km circular low Earth orbit for several small satellite operators.

The mission will be Rocket Lab's 16th launch overall and sixth mission of 2020.

For the first time, Rocket Lab will also attempt to bring Electron's first stage back from space under a parachute for a soft water landing. This major milestone is the next step in Rocket Lab's plan to make Electron a reusable launch vehicle.

Rocket Lab aims to retrieve the stage from this mission for inspection and analysis to inform future recovery missions.

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Rocket Lab @RocketLab 1 ч. назад

L-3 days until this little guy is launched to space on Electron to raise funds for Starship children's hospital.

@valvesoftware's Gabe Newell is donating $1 for every person who watches the launch at http://rocketlabusa.com/live-stream and http://twitch.tv/RocketLabUSA. Tune in for the kids!





52 мин. назад

Why a gnome? Gamers will recognize Gnome Chompski from Half-Life 2: Episode 2, where players completed the difficult task of lugging the gnome through the game & depositing him in a rocket to be launched to space. On our upcoming mission, the little fella will head to space IRL.




45 мин. назад

Mr. Chompski's time in space is limited though. He remains attached to Electron's Kick Stage and will de-orbit with it when the stage burns up on re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere.