12.09.2023
Rocket Lab announces launch window for next Capella Space mission
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has scheduled its next Electron launch during a window that opens September 19, 2023 NZST/UTC. The 'We Will Never Desert You' mission is scheduled to launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula for American space tech company Capella Space (Capella), a leading provider of commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery.
'We Will Never Desert You' will launch the second of Capella's third-generation SAR Acadia satellites to low Earth orbit. This will be Rocket Lab's third launch for Capella in 2023, and second launch in a multi-launch contract of four missions. Capella's highest quality, high resolution SAR imagery penetrates all weather conditions and captures clear imagery 24/7, day and night, anywhere on Earth, delivered through a fully-automated ordering and delivery platform.
Capella's existing SAR capabilities includes long-dwell imaging and extended duty-cycle - which results in more images collected per orbit than any other SAR systems. Acadia will augment Capella's existing constellation with increased bandwidth and power, faster downlink speeds, and reduced latency.
As Capella's sole launch provider in 2023 to build out the company's Earth-imaging constellation, Rocket Lab's most recent launch, 'We Love The Nightlife,' successfully deployed Capella's first Acadia satellite to space just weeks ago on August 24, 2023. An earlier mission for Capella this year, 'Stronger Together,' successfully delivered two satellites to space for the company from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 in Wallops, Virginia, in March 2023.
Electron's precise payload deployment record and ability to meet wide-ranging mission requirements enables operators like Capella to increase their constellation's orbital diversity while at the same time grow quickly to meet customer demand. Rocket Lab is also supplying its own separation systems for each Capella mission that further maintains the Company's vertical integration strategy.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck, said: "As the only commercial U.S. small launch vehicle providing regular and reliable dedicated access to orbit, Electron provides a unique service to satellite operators like Capella. When you're a dedicated launch customer you can fly where you want and when you want to, and launching these two missions back-to-back for Capella demonstrates the value that brings to commercial constellation operators."
Quelle: SD
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Update: 20.09.2023
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Radar-imaging satellite lost as Rocket Lab Electron rocket fails
Rocket Lab is gearing up to launch the second of four next-generation radar-imaging satellites for Capella Space atop an Electron rocket from New Zealand at 6:55 p.m. NZST (2:55 a.m. EDT / 0655 UTC) on Tuesday.
After lifting off from pad B at Rocket Lab’s privately-operated launch site on the Mahia Peninsula, the expendable Electron rocket, powered by its nine Rutherford first-stage engines, will head off on a south-easterly trajectory, targeting a 635 km circular orbit inclined at 53 degrees to the Equator. It will be the 41st orbital mission for the Electron rocket overall and the ninth during 2023.
After burning for two minutes and 25 seconds, the Electron first stage will separate and a single Ruthford vacuum engine on the second stage will ignite to continue the rocket’s climb. After reaching a parking orbit, the second stage will separate a little over nine minutes into flight.
After coasting for about 44 minutes, the Curie engine of the Electron kick stage will fire for three minutes to achieve the intended orbit. Separation of the Arcadia-2 satellite will follow approximately 57 minutes, 15 seconds into flight.
Radar-imaging satellite lost as Rocket Lab Electron rocket suffers launch failure
A shower of sparks at the point the Electron rocket’s second stage engine was supposed to ignite. Image: Rocket Lab.
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket, carrying a radar-imaging satellite for Capella Space, failed on Tuesday after a problem occurred two and half minutes into flight. It was the fourth failure in 41 flights for the small satellite launcher.
The 59-foot-tall (18-meter) rocket lifted off from pad B at Rocket Lab’s privately-operated spaceport on the North Island of New Zealand at 2:55 a.m. EDT (6:55 p.m. NZST / 0655 UTC), a little later than planned due to high levels of solar activity.
Launch controllers reported all was going well as nine Ruthford engines burning kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants propelled the vehicle to an altitude of 43.5 miles (70 km), before burning out two and a half minutes after liftoff.
The first and second stages separated with the aid of pneumatic pushers but, as the single Rutherford vacuum engine of the second stage was supposed to ignite, a brief glow was seen, followed by a spray of orange sparks, and then video from cameras aboard the rocket froze. An on-screen gauge showed the vehicle was losing velocity.
“All stations. We have experienced an anomaly,” the launch director announced about 30 seconds later. “Please remain on station and we will investigate and action the anomaly plan.”
In a post to the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, Rocket Lab founder and Chief Executive Peter Beck said: “Tough day. My deepest apologies to our mission partners Capella Space. Team is already working on root cause. We’ll find it, fix it and be back on the pad quickly.”
In a statement, Rocket Lab said its next launch, which was to occur later this month, would be postponed to allow for any “corrective actions” that might be needed. The investigation will be conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which licenses Rocket Lab’s commercial launch operations.
The Electron was carrying the second of four Acadia radar-imaging satellites for Capella Space which operates a small fleet of commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) earth-imaging spacecraft. Rocket Lab successfully launched the first Acadia on August 23, 2023. That satellite is already commissioned and returning radar-imagery.
The Acadia series is Capella’s third generation of satellites. Its radar is capable of imaging the Earth’s surface night and day, penetrating clouds, fog, smoke and rain. The spacecraft is equipped with larger solar panels and batteries to feed a more powerful radar system that provides higher bandwidth than the company’s earlier Whitney class of satellites.
It was the fourth failure for the Electron rocket in 41 flights. All four failures have occurred after first stage separation during the flight of the second stage. Electron’s first flight in May 2017 did not make it to orbit but that was later determined to be a ground software problem and the rocket itself had been performing normally before a range safety destruct command was sent. The most recent failure prior to Tuesday’s mishap was in May 2021.
Quelle: SN