Rocket Lab is prepared for the primary flight of its Electron rocket, since a failure on Sept. 19. The forty second mission for the small-satellite launcher is scheduled to liftoff on Dec. 15 from New Zealand throughout a launch window the spans from 1700-1900 NZDT (0400-0600 UTC or 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. EST).
The Electron rocket will launch the “The Moon God Awakens” mission from Rocket Lab Launch Complicated 1, Pad B, on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. This might be a devoted mission for Japan-based Earth imaging firm iQPS (Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Area, Inc.). The Tsukuyomi-1 synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite tv for pc will work be a part of one other iQPS satellite tv for pc on orbit to seize high-resolution views of Earth as carefully as a 1 meter-square view.
Finally, it will likely be a part of a 36-satellite constellation designed to observe fastened factors on Earth each 10 minutes. iQPS mentioned it goals to have its full constellation deployed by 2025 or later.
“We’re deeply grateful to the Rocket Lab group for his or her efforts in arranging the launch alternative that aligns completely with our desired orbit,” mentioned iQPS CEO Shunsuke Onishi in an announcement. “Moreover, we take nice pleasure in our group, working tirelessly day-to-day to accommodate this tight timeline.”
This mission will mark the tenth flight of an Electron rocket in 2023, which is able to put it one mission forward of the prior Rocket Lab document of 9 launches set in 2022.
“We see the marketplace for the Electron product being very robust within the manifest,” mentioned Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck throughout an investor earnings name in November. “Frequent launch alternatives, flexibility over schedule and management over orbital deployment are what our clients are in search of and that’s what Electron has been offering and can proceed to offer within the new 12 months.”
Among the many 22 launches Rocket Lab has booked for 2024, 9 of them might be restoration missions. The corporate mentioned it won’t try and recuperate the Electron’s first stage booster on this mission.
Return to flight
This Electron mission is a key second for Rocket Lab after the corporate was pressured to pause launches for many of the fourth quarter of 2023. It launched two occasions in Q3 earlier than its failed mission in September.
In the course of the Sept. 19 Electron launch, a problem occurred at second stage engine ignition, about two-and-a-half minutes into flight. In a Q3 earnings presentation to buyers the corporate acknowledged that the anomaly was casued by {an electrical} arc inside the facility provide system, which shorted out the battery packs that present energy for the second stage.
“Probably the most possible root reason behind the arc was a singular and strange interplay of situations together with: the phenomenon of the Paschen Legislation, the place the flexibility {of electrical} arcs to type is enormously exacerbated in partial vacuum; a superimposed alternating present (AC) over the direct present (DC) excessive voltage provide; a small focus of helium and nitrogen; and an imperceptible fault within the insulation of the excessive voltage loom,” the corporate acknowledged.
The conclusion got here after a seven-week investigation which was carried out in coordination with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
“After greater than 40 launches, Electron is a confirmed, mature design with a well-established manufacturing course of behind it, so we knew the fault was going to be one thing complicated and intensely uncommon that hasn’t offered in testing or flight earlier than,” Beck mentioned in an October assertion. “Our investigation group with FAA oversight has labored across the clock for the reason that second of the anomaly to uncover all doable root causes, replicate them in take a look at, and decide a path for corrective actions to keep away from related failure modes in future.”
Beck mentioned a part of the answer to assist make sure that “this by no means occurs once more” got here by way of rising the constancy of the second stage and sealing the battery body that comprises the high-voltage connections and tools in addition to pressurizing it to roughly 0.5 PSI.
“One of the simplest ways to unravel an issue, in my view, is to at all times remove the issue and that’s what we’ve carried out,” Beck mentioned. “Attending to the underside of the problem and again to the pad for our clients has been the group’s primary precedence.”
“It’s been unimaginable to witness the perseverance, dedication over these previous few weeks, not solely on the anomaly investigation, however within the work that they’ve accomplished in parallel to ensure we’re good to go as quickly as we get again to the pad.”
