LIFT OFF TIME | 02 maggio 2022 - 00:41 |
LAUNCH PROVIDER | Rocket Lab |
COSTUMERS | Alba Orbital, Astrix Astronautics, Aurora Propulsion Technologies, E-Space, Unseenlabs, e Swarm Technologies |
ROCKET | Electron |
LAUNCH SITE | Launch Complex-1A, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand |
PAYLOAD MASS | - |
DESTINATION | Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) 520 Km |
LANDING SITE | The first will be catch by a helicopter |
WEATHER | - |
Rocket Lab will launch the There And Back Again mission on a Electron rocket.
The rocket will release 34 small satellites for Alba Orbital, Astrix Astronautics, Aurora Propulsion Technologies, E-Space, Unseenlabs and Swarm Technologies via global launch service provider Spaceflight Inc.
This mission will mark the first helicopter capture of Electron's first stage.
Rocket Lab will use, for the first time, the new version of the Electron rocket. This version includes a very thin thermal protection system that will aid cooling before the rocket is captured by the helicopter.
First stage recovery
The company's plan is to capture the first stage in flight with a helicopter. During three previous missions Rocket Lab recovered the Electron rocket booster from the sea.
Electron
Rocket Lab's Electron is a small launch vehicle designed to put small satellites into orbit,it consists of two stages with optional third stages.
The rocket is about 18.5 meters high and only 1.2 meters in diameter. The vehicle structures are made of advanced carbon fiber composites. The payload lifting capacity of Electron to LEO is 300kg.
The First Stage Electron's first stage is powered by 9 Rutherford engine thatprovides 24 kN of thrust.
The Second Stage The second stage is powered by one Vacuum Rutherford engine that provides 25,8 kN of thrust.
The Optional Third Stage The Photon upper stage, in its standard configuration, acts as a propulsion in space to distribute the payloads of Rocket Lab's customers into their designated orbits. It is powered by a Curie engine capable of producing 120 N of thrust.
There is also a Photon version for deep space. This allows to launch interplanetary missions. The HyperCurie engine is powered by an electric pump, so it can use solar cells to charge the batteries between burns. It has an extended nozzle to be more efficient than the standard Curie. NASA already plans to use the deep-space version of Photon for its CAPSTONE robotic mission to the Moon.
The official live stream will start approximately at T-20 minutes.