Rocket Lab launches Electron in reusability test
Posted: Sun, Dec 8, 2019, 11:05 AM ET (1605 GMT)
Rocket Lab successfully launched several smallsats early Friday on a mission that also tested the ability to recover the Electron's first stage. The Electron lifted off at 3:18 am EST (0818 GMT) from the company's New Zealand launch site and placed seven smallsats into low Earth orbit. Those satellites include one from a Japanese company intended to create artificial meteor showers and six "PocketQube" satellites for a variety of technology demonstrations. The Electron's first stage was upgraded for this mission with technologies to enable it to make a guided re-entry, and the company said initial results of that test looked promising as the company plans to eventually recover and reuse the stage. The launch was the sixth and final Electron mission of 2019.
Rocket Lab successfully launched several smallsats early Friday on a mission that also tested the ability to recover the Electron's first stage. The Electron lifted off at 3:18 am EST (0818 GMT) from the company's New Zealand launch site and placed seven smallsats into low Earth orbit. Those satellites include one from a Japanese company intended to create artificial meteor showers and six "PocketQube" satellites for a variety of technology demonstrations. The Electron's first stage was upgraded for this mission with technologies to enable it to make a guided re-entry, and the company said initial results of that test looked promising as the company plans to eventually recover and reuse the stage. The launch was the sixth and final Electron mission of 2019.| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, March 19
Firefly Aerospace Selected for the 2025 Robert J. Collier Trophy
National Aeronautic Association — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) Satellite development begins for EUMETSAT Polar System – Sterna
EUMETSAT — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) Minotaur IV rocket motor stacking at Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex-8
US Space Force — 5:20 am ET (0920 GMT) MDA Space awarded contract with Canadian Department of National Defence to deliver Ground-Based Optical Capability for Space Surveillance
MDA — 5:18 am ET (0918 GMT) Rocket Lab wins record contract with US Department of War
Radio New Zealand — 5:17 am ET (0917 GMT) |
