Space is open for business. Rocket Lab has announced, with its successful Electron rocket launch, from its own private launch pad in New Zealand, which reached orbit and successfully deployed multiple small satellites that will map the earth’s surface and track weather systems and shipping.
The Electron rocket is disposable:
It is made of lightweight carbon composite material and has 3D-printed engines to reduce costs and assembly times. It is 17m long, roughly a quarter of the size of rivals such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which can carry satellites the size of a van into orbit. Each Rocket Lab launch costs about $5m, compared to $62m for SpaceX, the company founded by billionaire Elon Musk.
Sunday’s launch was the second test flight by the Electron rocket following an earlier flight in May. On that occasion the rocket entered space but was unable to reach lower earth orbit due to a technical fault. It is planning a third test flight later this year.
Some satellite providers are willing to risk their products on test rockets due the lengthy backlog in launches that has built up as the industry expands. Rocket Lab deployed the three small satellites on behalf of Planet and Spire Global, US-based satellite providers that are deploying constellations of nanosatellites at a low earth orbit of about 500km.
Rocket Lab says its private launch pad on the picturesque Mahia peninsula on New Zealand’s North Island gives it a commercial advantage to many competitors, who use government-run facilities such as Cape Canaveral in the US. The company is licensed to conduct a launch every 72 hours from the remote location, which benefits from the lack of air and shipping travel in the vicinity.
I first heard about Rocket Lab just last year.