Electron - ракета компании Rocket Lab

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https://www.blacksky.com/2018/11/15/launch-update-for-blacksky-global-1-and-global-2/

LAUNCH UPDATE FOR BLACKSKY GLOBAL-1 AND GLOBAL-2
NOVEMBER 15, 2018

Globals are ready to go!

The BlackSky constellation is taking shape. ...
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Looking ahead to 2019, Global 3 and 4 are scheduled to take flight in QU1. Global-3 will be aboard another PSLV and Rocket Lab is taking Global-4 on one of their Electron rockets. We can't wait for these launches – stay tuned as we bring our vision to fruition.

Follow our blog here and Twitter where we will be sharing the latest news from BlackSky.

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Venture Class Rockets: First Class Flights for CubeSats

NASAKennedy

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.

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Stephen Clark‏ @StephenClark1 9:32 - 15 дек. 2018 г.

Some recent news: Rocket Lab's Electron & Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne are now listed as vehicles available for NASA's new small and medium-class Explorer missions of opportunity. That gives those missions, ranging from CubeSats up to microsatellites, a new dedicated launch option.

Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow 9:27 - 15 дек. 2018 г.

NASA is gearing up its first Electron launch with Rocket Lab this weekend, as the US space agency has recently added the Electron & Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne vehicles to a catalog of rockets available for future NASA CubeSat and smallsat missions. Story: https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/12/rocket-lab-preps-to-launch-flock-of-nasa-funded-cubesats/ ...

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https://www.rocketlabusa.com/news/updates/rocket-lab-successfully-launches-nasa-cubesats-to-orbit-on-first-ever-venture-class-launch-services-mission/

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

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.

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"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 and images from the mission are available in the media library at www.rocketlabusa.com/news/updates/link-to-rocket-lab-imagery-and-video

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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

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https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-launches-cubesats-for-nasa/

Rocket Lab launches cubesats for NASA
by Jeff Foust — December 16, 2018


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.

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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.

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.
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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."

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Rocket Lab announced a $140 million Series E round Nov. 15 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."

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Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck 19 дек.

And another one done! Stage test for flight 5 is complete. Electron 5 heading out to the launch site early January. Delivering on frequent dedicated launch! #TheWaitIsOver

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Rocket Lab Kick Stage - Responsible orbital deployment
Доступ по ссылке

Rocket Lab

Дата загрузки: 2 янв. 2019 г.

The Kick Stage will take your satellite exactly where it needs to go, even when flying on rideshare missions.

Powered by the Curie engine, named after the physicist and chemist Marie Curie, the Kick Stage is a nimble but powerful extra stage on Electron designed to circularize payload orbits. It employs a cold gas reaction control system to precisely point itself and deploy satellites to independent yet highly precise orbits, and also eliminate the risk of recontact with other spacecraft during deployment.

We're committed to the sustainable use of space by minimizing orbital debris. That's why we've designed the Electron launch system to leave nothing in orbit but our customers' satellites.

After all payloads are deployed, the Kick Stage can reorient itself and reignite the Curie engine one last time to perform a deorbit maneuver. 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.

The graphic in this video shows how Rocket Lab's Kick Stage works, its followed by an animation simulating deployment.

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Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck 17 ч. назад

Ringing in 2019 with new rockets rolling off the production line and down to the pad.

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Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight 2 ч. назад

Key points from Rocket Lab CEO @Peter_J_Beck's interview on @tmro today:
- 12 or more flights in 2019
- Next flight in early February
- First flight from Wallops in September
- Launch rate of one launch a week in 2020

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SMC Commander‏ @SMC_CC 15 ч. назад

Just had an incredible tour at #RocketLab today. Building partnerships with new commercial entrants in all areas of space, including dedicated small launch vehicles is key to broadening the pool of #innovation!
#SMC #spacestartshere #EPICSpeed #USAF #SmallLaunch

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Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck 4 ч. назад

Happy birthday #StillTesting. 1 year ago today we went to orbit for the first time. By the end of 2018 we had put 24 spacecraft on orbit. It's a lot when you list them out!

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Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab 13 ч. назад

Later this year Electron will lift off from this very spot - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia! Construction is underway on the pad, plus the Integration and Control Facility which will support the simultaneous integration of multiple Electrons!

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Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck 7 ч. назад

Another stage test done. Getting ready for the next flight after DARPA R3D2. The team are really streamlining things now. Build, test, launch - repeat!

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Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck 6 мин. назад

Just a few days out from launch and the team just finished another stage test for the next fight. Flight 6 is now on its way to the pad while flight 5 lifts off next week.

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Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab 7 ч. назад

We don't just go to orbit, we deploy satellites with exquisite accuracy. Electron's Kick Stage takes our customers' satellites exactly where they need to go. ...

http://www.rocketlabusa.com/vehicle/kickstage/ ...

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Swarm Technologies‏ @SwarmInternet 1 ч. назад

Swarm has completed qualification and acceptance vibe testing on our next two satellites (one flight unit shown, with two mass models). The next two SpaceBEEs will be deployed into LEO soon on @RocketLab!

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https://www.thenational.scot/news/17551624.scottish-satellite-firm-plans-second-pocketqube-launch-mission/

5th April
Scottish satellite firm plans second PocketQube launch mission

By Greg Russell
Journalist

The second PocketQube launch has attracted clients from the US and Spain

A SCOTTISH satellite hub has announced seven customers for its second PocketQube satellite mission later this year.

The Alba Cluster 2 mission from Alba Orbital will go into orbit on Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle, with seven PocketQubes integrated into their satellite deployer, the AlbaPod.

It comes after the company sold out its first launch, which will also launch in the third quarter of this year.

PocketQubes comprise 5cm cubes, which can be stacked to make larger variants and clients from Hungary, Germany, Spain and the US have confirmed their place in the second mission.

The new cluster includes spectrum monitoring payload, built by Budapest University of Technology and Economics, which wants to make a global map of spectrum usage; an optical camera built by US firm Mini-cubes and Hungarian group Advanced Technology of Laser will test a new thermal isolation material in space.

Stara Space satellites will demonstrate a new intersatellite link, encrypted communication and integration with ground station software that allows third party satellites to request data transfer – crucial technologies which are needed to create a real-time global communications constellation.

Tom Walkinshaw founded Alba Orbital in 2012 and the company, which also has offices in Germany, now employs 15 people.

The team has won five major contracts with the European Space Agency, worth in excess of €1.5 million (£1.28m).

Unicorn-1 and Unicorn-2, their platforms, serve different parts of the satellite value chain and with their new AlbaPod deployer, can fly on any launch vehicle. Slots for the second launch are sold out but Alba said others on its third launch are still available, with prices starting €25,000 (£21,300).

Walkinshaw, Alba's CEO, said: "Getting a satellite to orbit has traditionally cost six figures, taken years and is prone to many delays.

"Alba's Launch Cluster 2 alleviate these problems, significantly reducing the barriers to launch PocketQubes in a regular and cost effective manner.

"This will help fulfil Alba Orbital's goal of democratising access to space.

"We are looking forward to working with Peter and the Rocket Lab team."

Peter Bec, the founder and CEO of Rocket Lab – a privately-funded company with headquarters in Huntington Beach, California – added: "The satellites of today are getting smaller, doing more and costing less to build, but until now it has been a challenge for them to get to orbit.

"By partnering with Alba Orbital for a rideshare on a Rocket Lab Electron, these small but mighty payloads will get to orbit faster, experiencing a first-class ride and precise orbital insertion to maximise their potential on orbit."

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Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab 6 мин. назад

Introducing Photon - the Rocket Lab satellite. As an integrated spacecraft builder and launch provider, we're enabling small satellite operators to focus on delivering data and services from space, rather than building their own hardware. Learn more: http://www.rocketlabusa.com/photon/ 

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https://www.rocketlabusa.com/photon/

A SATELLITE CREATED BY ROCKETLAB

As the global leader in small satellite launch, Rocket Lab has now introduced the next evolution of its mission services, the in-house designed and built Photon satellite platform.

Rocket Lab now delivers an all-inclusive spacecraft build and launch service that enables small satellite customers to focus on delivering their service from orbit and generating revenue, rather than building their own satellite hardware. Our customers simply bring their payload or idea and we do the rest, taking care of the complete satellite design, build and launch as a bundled and streamlined experience.

Photon is an advanced and planned evolution of the Rocket Lab Kick Stage. Operating a high-powered iteration of the flight-proven 3D printed Curie propulsion system, Photon can support missions with up to a five year on-orbit life span. Equipped with an S-band communication system, a high-fidelity attitude control system, and a robust avionics suite, Photon is the complete spacecraft solution for a range of LEO missions, from constellation development, through to technology demonstrations and hosted payloads.

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[TH]PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS[/TH]

Available payload mass	Up to 170 kg (orbit dependent). From 37 degrees to SSO
Available payload volume	Electron fairing envelope
Payload power (peak)	100 W to 1 kW
Payload energy/orbit	Up to 300 Whr
System voltage	28 V unregulated; regulated options available
Pointing accuracy	5 deg to 50 arc-sec
Slew rate	Up to 5 deg/s
Pointing stability	Up to TBS arcsec/sec
Orbit knowledge	5 - 10 m
Delta-v capacity	Payload dependent
Payload data interfaces	LVDS, ethernet, CAN, RS422/485
Payload data storage	Up to 1 TB
Telemetry & command frequencies	S-band (space operations)
Telemetry and command data rate	Up to 512 kbps
Payload transmitter	Payload dependent; multiple options available
Orbit type and lifetime	LEO > 5 years

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Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck 10 ч. назад

Rocket Lab's satellite #Photon is at booth 247.




Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck 11 ч. назад

It's official, Rocket Lab now builds satellites!