Rocket Lab’s first launch of 2022 was also the first flight to use the company’s second launch pad in New Zealand, located just north of the existing pad at the privately-owned spaceport. Launch of Rocket Lab’s Electron booster occurred at 3:37 p.m. EST (2037 GMT) Monday, hauling a small Japanese radar observation satellite into orbit.
Blaming European sanctions enacted after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian space agency said Saturday it is recalling dozens of engineers and technicians from French Guiana and suspending Soyuz rocket operations there, grounding a pair of European navigation satellites previously set for launch in early April.
United Launch Alliance said Friday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have no impact on the company’s Atlas 5 rocket program, which has 25 missions left to fly with Russian-made main engines before retirement. The launch provider said it has all the Russian engines it needs before transitioning to a replacement rocket.
President Biden said Thursday the United States is imposing new sanctions against Russia, including measures that will “degrade” the country’s space program, in response to Russian military attacks on Ukraine. So far, operations and training for future missions on the International Space Station are proceeding without interruption, according to NASA.
Rocket Lab’s next mission, targeted for no earlier than Feb. 28, will be the first from a new launch pad at the company’s private spaceport in New Zealand, an addition officials said could double the flight rate of Electron launchers. We spoke with Rocket Lab’s founder, Peter Beck, about the new launch pad.
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