Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Rocket Lab - Without Mission A Beat Launch


Without Mission A Beat

Rocket Lab will launch the “Without Mission A Beat” dedicated mission on Electron from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 Pad A during a launch window that opens March 29, 2022 UTC.

Without Mission A Beat (BlackSky 16-17)

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Earth Science

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
25 - South Pacific

Payload consists of two BlackSky Gen-2 high-resolution multi-spectral Earth observation satellites.

Telemetry

Launch trajectory and telemetry simulations provided by Flight Club - a rocket launch simulator and orbital trajectory visualiser for all things space!

Updates

Nosu • April 2, 2022, 1:39 p.m.

Successful launch


Nosu • April 2, 2022, 12:42 p.m.

Liftoff


Nosu • April 2, 2022, 12:12 p.m.

Webcast live


Cosmic_Penguin • April 2, 2022, 10:27 a.m.

New T-0


Cosmic_Penguin • April 2, 2022, 5:06 a.m.

Adjusted T-0.


Electron

Family:
Configuration:

Electron is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle (with an optional third stage) developed by the American aerospace company Rocket Lab. Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle designed to launch small satellites and cubesats to sun-synchronous orbit and low earth orbit. The Electron is the first orbital class rocket to use electric-pump-fed engines, powered by the 9 Rutherford engines on the first stage. It is also used as a suborbital testbed (called HASTE) for hypersonics research.

See Details
Specifications
  • Minimum Stage
    2
  • Max Stage
    3
  • Length
    18.0 m
  • Diameter
    1.2 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    1.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    13.0 T
  • Thrust
    162.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Electron
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Electron
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $6000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    300.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    225.0 kg

Booster Info


25


Type: Core
Flight Proven: No
First Flight: April 2, 2022
Last Flight: April 2, 2022
Flights: 1

Landing Information

Expended during its first flight.

Core will be expended.

Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab

(RL)

CEO: Peter Beck Founded: 2006 Successes: 66 Failures: 4 Pending: 32

Agency Type:

Rocket Lab is an American aerospace manufacturer with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. The company develops lightweight, cost-effective commercial rocket launch services. The Electron Program was founded on the premise that small payloads such as CubeSats require dedicated small launch vehicles and flexibility not currently offered by traditional rocket systems. Its rocket, the Electron, is a light-weight rocket and is now operating commercially. The company is also producing a variety of spacecrafts and spacecrafts components.

INFO WIKI

Related News

NASA Spaceflight

Rocket Lab’s Electron launches two BlackSky satellites on 25th mission

Rocket Lab has launched two satellites for BlackSky on the 25th flight of its Electron rocket. The mission lifted off from Launch Complex-1A (LC-1A) at Rocket Lab’s launch site on the Mahia peninsula in New Zealand at 12:41 UTC on Saturday…

SpaceNews

Rocket Lab launches BlackSky satellites as it prepares for mid-air booster recovery

A Rocket Lab Electron launched another pair of imaging satellites for BlackSky April 2 as the company gears up to attempt recovery of the rocket’s first stage.

Spaceflight Now

Commercial BlackSky imaging satellites ride with Rocket Lab

Two microsatellites for BlackSky launched Saturday from New Zealand, riding a Rocket Lab launch vehicle into orbit to join a fleet of commercial eyes supplying imagery to military and civilian users.

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A


Long March 2C/YZ-1S
Success
2 days ago
SatNet test satellites
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Officially described as "Satellite-Internet Technology Demonstration Satellite(s)". Probably test satellites for the Chinese state-owned LEO commu…


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 3 hours ago
Cygnus CRS-2 NG-23 (S.S. William “Willie” C. McCool)
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

This is the 23rd flight of the Northrop Grumman's uncrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its 22nd flight to the International Space Station under th…


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 7 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-10
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat
Success
4 days, 23 hours ago
Glonass-K1 No. 18 (Kosmos 2595) & Kosmos 2596
43/3 (43L) - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Glonass-K1 are the third generation of satellite design for GLONASS satellite navigation system. GLONASS is a Russian space-based navigation system c…


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 23 hours ago
Nusantara Lima
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Nusantara Lima is an Indonesian geostationary communications satellite with a capacity of more than 160 Gbps.


Soyuz 2.1a
Success
6 days, 9 hours ago
Progress MS-32 (93P)
31/6 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Progress resupply mission to the International Space Station.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer B
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Tranche 1 Transport Layer B is one of six missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Sp…


Long March 7A
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Yaogan 45
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Smart Dragon 3
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Geely Constellation Group 05
Oriental Spaceport mobile launch ship - Sea Launch

11 LEO communications satellites for Chinese car manufacturer Geely Automotive for testing autonomous driving/inter-vehicle communication services. T…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Starlink Group 17-9
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.