Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today successfully launched its 52nd Electron rocket and deployed a single satellite to low Earth orbit for Capella Space (Capella).
The mission, named “A Sky Full of SARs” in a nod to the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capabilities of Capella’s spacecraft, lifted off at 01:18 AM New Zealand Standard Time on August 12th from Launch Complex 1, Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. The mission deployed the next of Capella’s third-generation SAR Acadia satellites to a mid-inclination 615km low Earth orbit. In addition to the launch service, Rocket Lab provided a custom extended fairing on Electron to encompass the payload before Capella’s satellite was deployed to space from a Rocket Lab-produced separation system.
The mission was the fifth launch for Capella that’s taken place since Capella’s first mission on Electron in August 2020. That mission, called “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical”, launched from Launch Complex 1 to deploy the very first satellite in Capella’s SAR constellation. Subsequent successful missions include the “Stronger Together” mission launched for Capella from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Virginia, in March 2023 and the “We Love The Nightlife” mission launched from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand just five months later in August 2023.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck says, “Electron is a reliable constellation builder, providing precise and dedicated deployment to unique orbits that allows satellite operators like Capella to iteratively build out their constellation when and where they need to. I’m proud of the team for delivering this latest successful mission for Capella and for successfully delivering nine missions so far this year as Electron’s launch cadence continues to ramp up. With many more missions scheduled in the coming weeks and months, we look forward to delivering our busiest launch year yet in 2024.”
The launch window for Rocket Lab’s next Electron mission will be announced in the coming days. Most recently Rocket Lab announced a record 10 launch contract with Japanese Earth observation company Synspective, with another two launches in addition to that contract already booked and scheduled for launch on Electron this year. Other satellite operators expected to launch this year under existing multi-launch contracts with Rocket Lab include space-based intelligence company BlackSky and French Internet-of-Things (IoT) company Kinéis.
Rocket Lab’s ready now to launch Capella’s Acadia-3 SAR satellite eight days after previous mission
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a provider in launch services and space systems, announced it has scheduled the launch for its 52nd Electron mission which will deploy a single satellite for American space tech company Capella Space (“Capella”).
The mission is scheduled to launch during a 14-day window that opens on August 11th from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. The mission will deploy Capella’s Acadia-3 SAR satellite, a synthetic aperture radar satellite for Earth imagery and observation, to a mid-inclination 615km circular orbit to add to Capella’s existing SAR satellite constellation.
This 52nd Electron launch by Rocket Lab comes just eight days after the previous launch of Electron on August 3rd for another constellation customer, demonstrating Rocket Lab’s responsive launch capability for the global satellite industry. This upcoming mission for Capella will be Rocket Lab’s tenth mission for 2024, equaling the Company’s annual launch record set in 2023.
The mission will be Rocket Lab’s fifth launch for Capella to build out the company’s Earth-imaging constellation. In addition to the launch service, Rocket Lab is providing Capella Space with a custom extended fairing for the Acadia-3 satellite on Electron and a separation system produced by Rocket Lab.
“It’s great to be heading back to the pad for Capella once again,” says Rocket Lab Founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “The team is focused on and dedicated to delivering this latest SAR satellite to orbit to build out Capella’s constellation, and we’re honored by their continued trust in Rocket Lab and Electron to help support their overarching mission.”
“We’re looking forward to working with Rocket Lab again in order to continue expanding Capella’s constellation with our industry-leading, next-generation satellite technology,” says Capella Space CEO Frank Backes. “It’s with partners like Rocket Lab that we’re able to serve the mission requirements of our customers today with high-resolution, high-quality SAR imagery, building a fully-automated and reliable constellation to meet the needs of customers for tomorrow.”
Capella is an American space tech company with data and satellite solutions for government and commercial applications. Capella’s high-quality, high-resolution SAR imagery penetrates all weather conditions and captures clear imagery 24/7, day and night, anywhere on Earth, delivered through a fully-automated ordering and delivery platform. Capella’s existing SAR capabilities includes long-dwell imaging and extended duty-cycle that results in more images collected per orbit than any other SAR systems. Acadia will augment Capella’s existing constellation with increased bandwidth and power, faster downlink speeds, and reduced latency.
This upcoming mission for Capella will be Rocket Lab’s ninth mission for 2024 and 51st Electron launch overall.
‘A Sky Full Of SARs’ mission details:
- Launch window: NET Sunday August 11, NZST/UTC.
- Launch location: Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia.
- Launch Vehicle: Electron.
- Satellite Operator: Capella Space.
- Payload: SAR Earth-imaging Acadia satellite.
- Orbital Destination: 615km circular Earth orbit.
