Rocket Lab USA, Inc., a leading launch and space systems company, is today proceeding with a launch attempt of the Company’s first Electron mission from US soil.
The ‘Virginia Is For Launch Lovers’ mission is scheduled to launch Tuesday January 24th, from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility – a US launch pad for Electron missions that serves government and commercial satellite customers. The launch window for the mission extends from 18:00-20:00 EST / 23:00-01:00 UTC.
The mission is Rocket Lab’s 33rd Electron launch and will deploy three satellites for Virginia-based company HawkEye 360, a radio frequency geospatial analytics provider. This upcoming launch is the first of three missions for HawkEye 360 scheduled to be carried out by Rocket Lab in 2023 and 2024. The multi-launch contract to deliver 15 satellites to low Earth orbit will grow HawkEye 360’s constellation of radio frequency monitoring satellites to better provide geolocation of radio emissions anywhere in the world.
As the world’s most frequently launched small orbital rocket, Electron has already delivered 152 satellites to space across 32 missions launched from the company’s private launch site, Launch Complex 1, in New Zealand. Previous Electron missions have deployed satellites for NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office, DARPA, the US Space Force and a range of commercial constellation operators.
‘Virginia Is For Launch Lovers’ mission details:
Launch scheduled for | Tuesday January 24, 2023 (back-up opportunities through early Feb.)
Launch window | 18:00-20:00 EST
Launch site | Launch Complex 2, Wallops Island, Virginia
Customer | HawkEye 360
Payloads | Three satellites
Orbit | 550km low Earth orbit