![]() The CEO of Rocket Lab, Peter Beck, standing next to an Electron rocket holding a Rutherford engine. There are at least two things about the Rutherford engine that make it stand out. They are running on rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOx). Rutherford engines are the main propulsion source for Electron and were designed in-house, specifically for this vehicle. Moreover, they flew an Autonomous Flight Termination System (AFTS) for the first time. The main difference between these two variations of the Rutherford engine is that the latter has an expanded nozzle that results in improved performance in near-vacuum conditions.įor the Love At First Insight mission, the company introduced an update to the second stage by stretching it by 0.5 m. The second stage also consists of tanks for propellant (~2,000 kg of propellant) and is powered by a single vacuum optimized Rutherford engine. First And Second StageĮlectron’s first stage is composed of linerless common bulkhead tanks for propellant, and an interstage, and powered by nine sea-level Rutherford engines. ![]() Since then, Electron has flown a total of 29 times (26 of them were fully successful) and delivered 149 satellites into orbit. Even though the company had to manually terminate the flight, there was no larger issue with the vehicle itself. On this mission, a failure in the ground communication system occurred, which resulted in the loss of telemetry. The maiden flight It’s A Test was launched on May 25, 2017, from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex-1 (LC-1) in New Zealand. Electron’s payload lift capacity to LEO is 300 kg (~660 lbs).Įlectrons at the production facility. The vehicle structures are made of advanced carbon fiber composites, which yields an enhanced performance of the rocket. It is not only small in size, but also light-weighted. Electron consists of two stages with optional third stages.Įlectron is about 18.5 meters (60.7 feet) in height and only 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) in diameter. Rocket Lab’s Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle designed and developed specifically to place small satellites (CubeSats, nano-, micro-, and mini-satellites) into LEO and Sun-synchronous orbits (SSO). Second Engine Cut-Off (SECO) on Electron’s second stage Main Engine Cut-Off (MECO) on Electron’s first stage Safety zones are activated for designated airspace Safety zones are activated for designated marine space Timeline Pre-Launch Hrs:Min:SecĮlectron is raised vertical, fueling begins (Credit: Rocket Lab)Ĭompared to the previous satellites, the second-generation ones are built in an industrialized manner and will be used for commercial data acquisition, they will be monitoring major Asian cities. The StriX-1 satellite that will be launched on The Owl Spreads Its Wings mission. Synspective’s SAR satellite technology originated from the government-led innovative R&D program, ImPACT. The company highlights that its satellites have a simple design, which allows cost-effective development of the constellation. On the back-side of the SAR antenna, there are solar cells necessary for high power generation. The satellite has a 5 m SAR antenna that is stowed during launch. Like the demonstration satellites, the StriX-1 uses the StripMap and Sliding Spotlight modes. The satellite has a mass of ~100 kg, a ground resolution of 1-3 m, and a swath width of more than 10-30 km. Naturally, the StriX-1 satellite combines the best of its two ancestors. This allows to track any changes and trends that happen at specific locations on the Earth’s surface. The StriX-β was launched into a one-day recurrent Sun-synchronous orbit and can capture particular spots on the Earth at the same time and under the same conditions every 24 hours. Just like the previous The Owl’s Night Continues mission for Synspective, this one will not recover Electron’s booster. This mission will mark the seventh launch for the company in 2022 and the third satellite delivered to space for Synspective Inc. On The Owl Spreads Its Wings mission, Electron will carry a single StriX-1 satellite for the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) constellation. Rocket Lab is preparing for its The Owl Spreads Its Wings mission which will launch from Launch Complex-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand. – 3rd launch from Launch Complex-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand – 3rd Rocket Lab’s mission for Synspective Inc. – 1st per-commercial StriX satellite for Synspective Inc. Will they be attempting to recover the fairings? Will they be attempting to recover the first stage? Launch Complex-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealandĥ63 km Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at a 97° inclination ![]() The Owl Spreads Its Wings, a single StriX-1 satellite for Synspective’s constellation Featured image credit: Rocket Lab Launch Window
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