Get ready because It’s Business Time
Today, US spaceflight startup Rocket Lab could attempt something it’s never tried before: a commercial launch of its Electron rocket. This will only be the Electron’s third flight and the first of what the company hopes will be monthly launches by the end of the year. If the launch is scrubbed today, check back in tomorrow... and the next day. Every day for the next 14 days, the company will attempt a launch within a four-hour window that starts at 8:30PM ET.
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is small for a rocket. At just 55 feet tall, it’s a fraction the height of SpaceX’s 230-foot-tall Falcon 9. But the Electron can afford to be diminutive because it’s built for putting small payloads that weigh between 330 and 500 pounds into low Earth orbit. The launches have a small price tag, too: just $4.9 million a pop.
That’s because Rocket Lab aims to get small satellites into orbit quickly and often. After all, the small satellite business is booming; companies like Planet are sending up dozens of satellites in a single launch to monitor the Earth.
In May 2017, Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket to space for the first time, but the vehicle didn’t make it to orbit. After analyzing the data from that abbreviated test, the company concluded that a communications glitch on the ground had cut the flight short. A stretch of bad weather delayed the company’s second test flight, dubbed “Still Testing.” But in January 2018, the rocket reached orbit and deployed its payloads: three commercial satellites, and a controversial disco ball called the Humanity Star.
That successful second test showed that the Electron could deliver - setting the stage for the company’s first commercial flight. The mission had originally been planned for April, until Rocket Lab’s engineering team noticed the strange behavior of a key motor. But the company has figured it out and fixed the problem, Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck told The Verge in May.
Today marks the start of the 14-day launch window. The Electron will be launching from Rocket Lab’s launchpad on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula: on Friday afternoon, Rocket Lab tweeted the launch would take place no earlier than 8:50PM ET (12:50PM local time in New Zealand). Now, the launch has been pushed back to 10:27PM ET (2:27 PM local time), because some of Electron’s components had to warm up in the chilly weather, the company tweeted. The rocket will carry four satellites and a test probe equipped with a sail designed to drag defunct satellites out of orbit.
You can watch Rocket Lab’s live stream, which will start about 20 minutes before launch. Of course, it’s possible the launch will be scrubbed, the company warns, “as weather conditions constantly change.” Keep track on Rocket Lab’s Twitter, and check back here for updates.
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is small for a rocket. At just 55 feet tall, it’s a fraction the height of SpaceX’s 230-foot-tall Falcon 9. But the Electron can afford to be diminutive because it’s built for putting small payloads that weigh between 330 and 500 pounds into low Earth orbit. The launches have a small price tag, too: just $4.9 million a pop.
That’s because Rocket Lab aims to get small satellites into orbit quickly and often. After all, the small satellite business is booming; companies like Planet are sending up dozens of satellites in a single launch to monitor the Earth.
In May 2017, Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket to space for the first time, but the vehicle didn’t make it to orbit. After analyzing the data from that abbreviated test, the company concluded that a communications glitch on the ground had cut the flight short. A stretch of bad weather delayed the company’s second test flight, dubbed “Still Testing.” But in January 2018, the rocket reached orbit and deployed its payloads: three commercial satellites, and a controversial disco ball called the Humanity Star.
That successful second test showed that the Electron could deliver - setting the stage for the company’s first commercial flight. The mission had originally been planned for April, until Rocket Lab’s engineering team noticed the strange behavior of a key motor. But the company has figured it out and fixed the problem, Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck told The Verge in May.
Today marks the start of the 14-day launch window. The Electron will be launching from Rocket Lab’s launchpad on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula: on Friday afternoon, Rocket Lab tweeted the launch would take place no earlier than 8:50PM ET (12:50PM local time in New Zealand). Now, the launch has been pushed back to 10:27PM ET (2:27 PM local time), because some of Electron’s components had to warm up in the chilly weather, the company tweeted. The rocket will carry four satellites and a test probe equipped with a sail designed to drag defunct satellites out of orbit.
You can watch Rocket Lab’s live stream, which will start about 20 minutes before launch. Of course, it’s possible the launch will be scrubbed, the company warns, “as weather conditions constantly change.” Keep track on Rocket Lab’s Twitter, and check back here for updates.