Rocket Lab – Spaceflight Now

NASA, Rocket Lab partner on successful satellite launch from New Zealand

December 17, 2018

Rocket Lab’s commercial Electron booster fired into orbit from New Zealand on Sunday, carrying a flock of 13 CubeSats on the company’s first mission chartered by NASA, and closing out a landmark year for the new smallsat launch provider as Rocket Lab aims to grow its flight rate to at least one per month in 2019.

Mission timeline for Rocket Lab’s launch of NASA’s ELaNa-19 CubeSats

December 13, 2018

Rocket Lab’s light-class Electron launcher is set to take off on its fourth flight from New Zealand, aiming to deliver 13 CubeSats to orbit on the company’s first mission for NASA.

Live coverage: Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket launches on NASA mission

December 13, 2018

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, a commercially-developed light-class booster, lifted off at 1:33 a.m. EST (0633 GMT) Sunday, carrying 13 CubeSats into orbit under contract to NASA.

Rocket Lab preps to launch flock of NASA-funded CubeSats

December 12, 2018

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is set to launch 13 CubeSats Saturday night (U.S. time) under contract to NASA from the company’s privately-owned spaceport in New Zealand, a pathfinder mission that could pave the way for more NASA satellites to hitch a ride on future Electron flights.

Rocket Lab delivers seven payloads to orbit, plans next launch in December

November 11, 2018

Rocket Lab’s Electron booster launched six small satellites and a drag sail demonstrator to orbit Sunday from New Zealand, a success on the company’s first commercial mission that officials said should pave the way for a launch carrying NASA CubeSats next month and up to 16 flights of the light-class rocket next year.

Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches six CubeSats and drag sail demo

November 10, 2018

Rocket Lab’s first operational launch took off from Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand at 10:50 p.m. EST Saturday (0350 GMT Sunday). The Electron rocket is carrying six CubeSats and a tech demo payload into orbit for customers in the United States, Australia, and Germany.

Rocket Lab sets new target date for first operational launch

October 31, 2018

Rocket Lab announced this week it has added two more nanosatellites to the first operational launch of the company’s Electron rocket, which is now scheduled to take off from New Zealand no earlier than Nov. 10, U.S. time, after a multi-month delay to resolve a technical problem.

Rocket Lab breaks ground on new Virginia launch pad

October 22, 2018

Rocket Lab broke ground on a new launch pad on Virginia’s Eastern Shore last week after selecting the Wallops Island location for the company’s first U.S.-based launch site over competing spaceports in Florida, California and Alaska.

Scotland site selected as launch base for Lockheed Martin, Orbex

July 16, 2018

Two companies — U.S. aerospace giant Lockheed Martin and British start-up Orbex — seeking to carve out a share of the burgeoning small satellite launch market plan to fly their rockets from a remote site on the northern shore of Scotland, British government and industry officials announced Monday.

Rocket Lab’s first commercial launch grounded to fix nagging technical issue

June 28, 2018

Rocket Lab will bypass its current launch window to resolve a recurring problem with a motor controller on the company’s light-class Electron rocket, likely postponing its first commercial satellite launch at least a few weeks.