Wikipedia

Rocket Lab Electron

(Redirected from RocketLab Rosie)

Electron is a two-stage, partially reusable orbital launch vehicle developed by Rocket Lab, an American aerospace company with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary.[14][15] Electron services the commercial small satellite launch market.[16] It's the third most launched small-lift launch vehicle in history. Its Rutherford engines are the first electric-pump-fed engine to power an orbital-class rocket.[17] Electron is often flown with a kickstage or Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft. Although the rocket was designed to be expendable, Rocket Lab has recovered the first stage twice and is working towards the capability of reusing the booster.[18] The Flight 26 (F26) booster has featured the first helicopter catch recovery attempt. Rocket Lab has, however, abandoned the idea of catching Electron.

Electron
Electron launching TROPICS in 2023
FunctionSmall-lift launch vehicle
ManufacturerRocket Lab
Country of originNew Zealand[1]
United States[2][3][4]
Project costUS$100 million[5]
Cost per launchAbout US$7.5 million[6][7]
Size
Height18 m (59 ft)[8]
Diameter1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)[8]
Mass12.5 t (28,000 lb)[9]
Stages2–3[8][10]
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass
  • Original: 225 kg (496 lb)[11]
  • Updated: 320 kg (710 lb)[11]
Payload to SSO
Mass
  • Original: 150 kg (330 lb)[11]
  • Updated: 200 kg (440 lb)[11]
Associated rockets
Comparable
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sites
Total launches53[a]
Success(es)49[a]
Failure(s)4
First flight25 May 2017
Last flight20 September 2024
First stage
Height12.1 m (40 ft)
Diameter1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)[8]
Powered by9 × Rutherford[8]
Maximum thrustSL: 224.3 kN (50,400 lbf)[8]
vac: 234 kN (53,000 lbf)
Specific impulse311 s (3.05 km/s)[8]
PropellantRP-1/LOX[8]
Second stage
Height2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
Diameter1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)[8]
Powered by1 × Rutherford[8]
Maximum thrust25.8 kN (5,800 lbf)[8]
Specific impulse343 s (3.36 km/s)[8]
PropellantRP-1/LOX[8]
Kick stage (optional) – Photon
Powered by1 × Curie[10]
Maximum thrust0.12 kN (27 lbf)[10]
PropellantViscous liquid monopropellant (AP, Al, Polydimethylsiloxane)[citation needed]
Kick stage (optional) – Photon (modified)
Powered by1 × HyperCurie[12]
Maximum thrust0.4 kN (90 lbf)[13]
Specific impulse310 s (3.0 km/s)[13]
Propellantunspecified hypergolic bi-propellant
[edit on Wikidata]

In December 2016, Electron completed flight qualification. The first rocket was launched on 25 May 2017,[19] reaching space but not achieving orbit due to a glitch in communication equipment on the ground.[20][21] During its second flight on 21 January 2018, Electron reached orbit and deployed three CubeSats.[22] The first commercial launch of Electron, and the third launch overall, occurred on 11 November 2018.[23] Since then, Electron has launched successfully 46 times, with an additional 4 failures, for a grand total of 50 launches.

Design

edit

Electron uses two stages with the same diameter (1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)) filled with RP-1/LOX propellant. The main body of the rocket is constructed using a lightweight carbon composite material.[24]

Both stages use the Rutherford rocket engine, the first electric-pump-fed engine to power an orbital rocket.[17] The electric pumps are powered by lithium-polymer batteries. The second stage uses three batteries which are "hot swapped", two of the batteries are jettisoned once depleted to shed mass.[25] There are nine Rutherford engines on the first stage and one vacuum-optimized version on the second stage.[26][27][28] The first stage engines deliver 162 kN (36,000 lbf) of thrust and the second stage delivers 22 kN (4,900 lbf) of thrust. Almost all of the engines' parts are 3D printed to save time and money in the manufacturing process.[17][24]

Rocket Lab has also developed an optional third stage, known as the "kick stage", designed to circularize the orbits of its satellite payloads. The stage also puts satellites into a more accurate orbit in less time. The Electron kick stage is equipped with a single Curie engine that is capable of performing multiple burns, uses an unspecified "green" bipropellant, and is 3D printed. It was first used during Electron's second flight.[29] The kick stage can transport up to 150 kg (330 lb) of payload.[30]

Rocket Lab has also developed a derivative spacecraft of the kick stage, Photon, which is intended for use on lunar and interplanetary missions. Photon will be capable of delivering small payloads of up to 30 kg (66 lb) into lunar orbit.[31][32]

The Electron payload Fairing is 2.5 m (8 feet and 2.4 inches) in length with a 1.2 m (3 feet and 11.2 inches) diameter and a total mass of 44 kg (97 lbm).

Production

edit

Manufacturing the carbon composite components of the main flight structure has traditionally required 400 hours, with extensive hand labor in the process. In late 2019, Rocket Lab brought a new robotic manufacturing capability online to produce all composite parts for an Electron in just 12 hours. The robot was nicknamed "Rosie the Robot", after The Jetsons character. The process can make all the carbon fiber structures as well as handle cutting, drilling, and sanding such that the parts are ready for final assembly. The company objective as of November 2019 is to reduce the overall Electron manufacturing cycle to just seven days.[33][34]

Rutherford engine production makes extensive use of additive manufacturing and has since the earliest flights of Electron. This allows the capability to scale production in a relatively straightforward manner by increasing the number and capability of 3D printers.[33]

Reusability

edit
 
Rocket Lab's Electron return phases

On 6 August 2019, Rocket Lab announced recovery and reflight plans for the first stage of Electron, although plans had started internally from late 2018.[35] Electron was not originally designed to be a reusable launch vehicle as it is a small-lift launch vehicle but was pursued due to increased understanding of Electron's performance based on analysis of previous flights through sensors on the vehicle. In addition, reusability was pursued to meet launch demands.[36][37] To counteract decreased payload capacity caused by the added mass of recovery hardware, performance improvements to Electrons are expected.[37]

Early phases of recovery included data gathering and surviving atmospheric reentry also known as "The Wall".[35][38] The next phase will require a successful deployment of an aerodynamic decelerator or ballute to slow the booster followed by the deployment of parafoil concluded by a touchdown in the ocean. After a successful touchdown in the ocean, the stage would be moved onto a ship for refurbishment and reflight.[39] Rocket Lab has not released information on aerodynamic decelerator that would be required to slow down the booster after atmospheric reentry.[36] Late phases of Electron reuse would involve using a parafoil and mid-air retrieval by a helicopter. After a successful mid-air retrieval the helicopter would bring the Electron to a ship that would bring the stage to the launch site for refurbishment and launch.[35][40] Later, Rocket Lab abandoned the plan to catch the stage with a helicopter, and will use ocean landing instead. One recovered Rutherford engine passed five full-duration hot fire tests and is declared ready to fly again.[41] Rocket Lab's 40th Electron mission successfully reused a refurbished Rutherford engine from a previous flight.[42][43]

Aerothermal decelerator

edit

Rocket Lab, while investigating reusability, decided that they will not pursue propulsive recovery like SpaceX. Instead they will use the atmosphere to slow down the booster in what is known as "aerothermal decelerator" technology. The exact methods used are proprietary but may include keeping proper orientation when reentering the atmosphere and other technologies.[38][44]

Vehicle modification history

edit

The Electron initially had a payload capacity of 150–225 kg (331–496 lb) to a 500 km (310 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit.[8][45]

In pursuit of reusability, Rocket Lab has made changes to Electron. Flight 6 and 7 ("That's a Funny Looking Cactus" and "Make it Rain") had instruments on the first stage needed to gather data to help with the reflight program. Flight 8 ("Look Ma No Hands") had Brutus, an instrument that collected data from the first stage to study reentry and was designed to be able to survive splashdown in the ocean.[35][39]

Flight 10 ("Running out of Fingers") had a block update to the first stage of the Electron to allow the first guided reentry of the first stage booster. Updates included additional hardware for guidance and navigation; onboard flight computers; and S-Band telemetry to both gather and livestream data gathered during reentry. The first stage also had a reaction control system (RCS) to orient the booster.[46][47] After stage separation, the first stage using the new hardware installed flipped 180° to prepare for reentry. Throughout the reentry the stage was guided though the atmosphere such that it has the right orientation and angle of attack for the base heat shield to protect the booster from destruction using RCS and onboard computers.[38][48] The booster successfully survived its guided re-entry despite having no deceleration hardware onboard and destructively splashed down into the ocean at 900 km/h (250 m/s; 560 mph) as planned if reentry was successful.[38][49] Rocket Lab had no plans to recover the stage and instead wanted to demonstrate the ability to successfully reenter.[48] Flight 11 ("Birds of a Feather") demonstrated similar success.[50][51] No further atmospheric reentry tests similar to flight 10 and 11 are expected.[52]

Following Flight 11 ("Birds of a Feather"), in mid-February 2020, low altitude tests were done to test parachutes. In April 2020, Rocket Lab shared the successful demonstration of mid-air retrieval done in March 2020. An Electron test article was dropped by a helicopter and deployed its parachutes. A helicopter carrying a long-boom snagged a drogue line from the parachute at 1,500 m (4,900 ft) demonstrating a successful retrieval. Following the catch the test article was brought back to land.[52][53]

Flight 16 ("Return to Sender"), was the first to recover the first stage booster, with a splashdown into the Pacific Ocean.[53][54] The rocket also lofted thirty payloads into Sun-synchronous orbit, including a titanium mass simulator in the shape of the garden gnome "Gnome Chompski" from the video game Half-Life 2.[55][56]

In August 2020, Rocket Lab announced increased payload of Electron to 225–300 kg (496–661 lb). The payload capacity increase was mainly due to battery advancements. The increased payload capacity allows offset of mass added by recovery technology. In addition, more payload mass could be flown on interplanetary missions and others when Electron is expended.[31]

Fairings

edit

Rocket Lab also announced several custom fairings, including an expanded fairing (1.2x standard), a normal expanded fairing, an extended fairing and a dual stack fairing. The standard fairing has a usable diameter of 1.07 m (3,51 ft) while an expanded fairing has a diameter of 1.56 m (5.12 ft).[57][58][59] The StriX-α mission for Synspective in December 2020 used an extended fairing.[60]

Autonomous flight termination systems

edit

Rocket Lab developed their own AFTS for launches from New Zealand from Dec 2019,[61] but for the first launch from US they used the NASA Autonomous Flight Termination Unit.[62]

Applications

edit

Electron is designed to launch a 200–300 kg (440–660 lb) payload to a 500 km (310 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit, suitable for CubeSats and other small payloads.[11] In October 2018, Rocket Lab opened a factory large enough to produce more than 50 rockets per year according to the company.[63] Customers may choose to encapsulate their spacecraft in payload fairings provided by the company, which can be easily attached to the rocket shortly before launch.[64] The starting price for delivering payloads to orbit is about US$7.5 million per launch, which offers the only dedicated service at this price point.[6][7]

Moon Express contracted Rocket Lab to launch lunar landers (multiple launches contracted, some planned for Moon Express operations after GLXP) on an Electron to compete for the Google Lunar X Prize (GLXP).[65] None of the contenders met the prize deadline, and the competition was closed without a winner.[66] For sometime after the closure of GLXP, the Moon Express Electron launches remained scheduled, but before February 2020, all the launches of Moon Express using Electron were canceled.[67]

Suborbital launches

edit

In April 2023, Rocket Lab announced an Electron derivative vehicle named HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) capable of delivering 700 kg on a suborbital trajectory. Customers include Dynetics, who is using the rocket to launch test vehicles under the MACH-TB program.[68] The first launch, DYNAMO-A, occurred on June 18, 2023 from Launch Complex-2 (LP-0C) in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.[69]

Launch sites

edit
Main article: Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1
Main article: Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0 § Launch Complex-2 (Pad 0C)
 
The Māhia launch site under construction in 2016

The rocket is launched from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand.[24] The launch pad's remote and sparsely populated location is intended to enable a high frequency of launches.[24] The rocket and launch pad were both privately funded, the first time all parts of an orbital launch operation were entirely run by the private sector (other private spaceflight companies lease launch facilities from government agencies or only launch suborbital rockets).[24][45]

In October 2018, Rocket Lab selected Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at the Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, as its future secondary launch site in the United States, called Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2.[70] Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) is expected to serve government customers.[71]

The first launch from LC-2 happened on 24 January 2023. An Electron rocket successfully orbited 3 satellites.[72]

Additionally, the UK Space Agency is giving Highlands and Islands Enterprise the opportunity to develop an Electron launch pad on the A' Mhòine Peninsula in Sutherland, Scotland.[73] The location would be named Sutherland spaceport.[74]

Launch history

edit
Main article: List of Electron launches
 
A National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) payload was successfully launched aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex-1

The Electron has flown 53 times since May 2017, with a total of 49 successes and 4 failures, Including 1 suborbital flight from the HASTE program. The initial test flight, called "It's a Test", failed due to a glitch in communication equipment on the ground, but the follow-up missions, called "Still Testing", "It's Business Time" and "This One's For Pickering", delivered multiple small payloads to low Earth orbit.[75][76] In August 2019, a mission named "Look Ma, No Hands" successfully delivered four satellites to orbit,[77] and in October 2019, the mission named "As the Crow Flies" successfully launched from Māhia LC-1, deploying a small satellite and its kick stage into a 400 km parking orbit.[78] In July 2020, the thirteenth Electron rocket launch failed with customer payloads on board, the first failure after the maiden flight.[79] In May 2021, the twentieth launch also failed.[80]

Notable launches

edit
  • "Still Testing", Electron's first successful launch[81]
  • ELaNa-19 "This One's For Pickering", Electron's first NASA-sponsored launch[82]
  • NROL-151, "Birds of a Feather", Electron's first NRO-sponsored launch[83]
  • "Return to Sender", Electron's first ocean recovery of the first stage[84]
  • "It's a little Chile up here", Electron's first launch of the Space Test Program.
  • CAPSTONE, Electron's first launch to the Moon.
  • HawkEye 360 Cluster 6, "Virginia is for Launch Lovers", Electron's first launch from Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.

Launch statistics

edit
This section is an excerpt from List of Electron launches § Launch statistics.[edit]

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ a b Including suborbital flight of the HASTE program.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Rocket Lab Celebrates Rich Ten-Year History". Rocket Lab USA. 30 June 2016.
  2. ^ Berger, Eric (17 October 2018). "Rocket Lab Gets Second Launch Site Gears Up for Rapid Flight Cadence". Ars Technica. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  3. ^ Botsford End, Rae (2 May 2015). "Rocket Lab: the Electron, the Rutherford, and why Peter Beck started it in the first place". Spaceflight Insider. Archived from the original on 10 May 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Rocket Lab Electron 'It's a Test' flight successfully makes it to space". Rocket Lab USA. 25 May 2017. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017.
  5. ^ Beck, Peter. "Yea, It took us $100m to get to orbit and I believe that was too much!". twitter.com. Retrieved 6 September 2020. Yea, It took us $100 million to get to orbit and I believe that was too much!
  6. ^ a b Vance, Ashlee (3 February 2020). "A Small Rocket Maker is Running a Different Kind of Space Race". Bloomberg. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  7. ^ a b Davenport, Christian (2 October 2020). "Virginia has a rocket launch site, and it's about to grow with the most successful startup since SpaceX". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Electron". Rocket Lab USA. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Rocket Lab Electron Data Sheet". Space Launch Report. November 2018. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ a b c Bennett, Jay (23 January 2018). "Rocket Lab Reveals Secret Engine and "Kick Stage" for the Electron Rocket". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Rocket Lab Increases Electron Payload Capacity, Enabling Interplanetary Missions and Reusability". Rocket Lab USA. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  12. ^ Etherington, Darrell (13 May 2020). "Rocket Lab tests new hyperCurie engine that will power its deep space delivery vehicle". TechCrunch. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Rocket Lab Peter Beck - SmallSat 2022 Keynote". YouTube. Rocket Lab. 18 August 2022.
  14. ^ "Rocket Lab Celebrates Rich Ten-Year History". Rocket Lab USA. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  15. ^ "View All Details". app.companiesoffice.govt.nz. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Electron". Rocket Lab USA. March 2016. Archived from the original on 17 July 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  17. ^ a b c Grush, Loren (14 April 2015). "A 3D-Printed, Battery-Powered Rocket Engine". Popular Science. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  18. ^ "Rocket Lab makes its first booster recovery after successful launch". TechCrunch. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  19. ^ "New Zealand space launch is first from a private site". BBC News. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  20. ^ "New Zealand test rocket makes it to space but not into orbit". independent.ie. Associated Press. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  21. ^ "Rocket Lab Completes Post-Flight Analysis for Electron 'Its a Test'". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  22. ^ Ryan, Holly (21 January 2018). "Blast off! Rocket Lab successfully reaches orbit". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  23. ^ Rocket Lab USA (10 November 2018), It's Business Time Launch – 11/11/2018, retrieved 11 November 2018
  24. ^ a b c d e Smyth, Jamie (21 January 2018). "Private group in "world first" cheap rocket launch". Financial Times. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Launch Week Arrives for Rocket Lab's Electron". Spaceflight101. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  26. ^ Brügge, Norbert. "Electron NLV". B14643.de. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  27. ^ Brügge, Norbert. "Electron Propulsion". B14643.de. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  28. ^ "Propulsion". Rocket Lab USA. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  29. ^ Foust, Jeff (23 January 2018). "Rocket Lab launch also tested new kick stage". SpaceNews. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  30. ^ "Rocket Lab successfully circularizes orbit with new Electron kick stage". Rocket Lab USA. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  31. ^ a b "Rocket Lab Increases Electron Payload Capacity, Enabling Interplanetary Missions and Reusability". Rocket Lab USA. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  32. ^ Berger, Eric (21 October 2019). "Rocket Lab — yep, Rocket Lab — has a plan to deliver satellites to the Moon". Ars Technica.
  33. ^ a b Foust, Jeff (13 November 2019). "Rocket Lab introduces robotic manufacturing system to increase Electron production". SpaceNews. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  34. ^ Elizabeth Howell (21 November 2019). "SpaceX Competitor's "Rosie the Robot" To Pump Out Rocket Parts Every 12 Hours". Forbes.
  35. ^ a b c d "Rocket Lab Announces Reusability Plans For Electron Rocket". Rocket Lab USA. 6 August 2019. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  36. ^ a b Beck, Peter (7 August 2019). "Here's why Rocket Lab changed its mind on reusable launch" (Interview). Interviewed by Berger Eric.
  37. ^ a b Foust, Jeff (6 August 2019). "Rocket Lab to attempt to reuse Electron first stage". SpaceNews. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  38. ^ a b c d Sheetz, Michael (6 December 2019). "Rocket Lab "punched through the wall", CEO says, passing key milestone in effort to reuse rockets". CNBC. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  39. ^ a b Atkinson, Ian (19 August 2019). "Rocket Lab launches Electron flight 8. Company previews first stage recovery". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  40. ^ Grush, Loren (6 August 2019). "Small satellite launcher Rocket Lab unveils plans to recover its rockets midair with helicopters". The Verge. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  41. ^ "Rocket Lab Will Attempt First Launch With a 3D-Printed Engine That's Already Flown to Space". Gizmodo. 19 April 2023.
  42. ^ Berger, Eric (24 August 2023). "The re-flight of a Rutherford engine demonstrates rocket reuse is here to stay". Ars Technica. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  43. ^ "Q3 2023 Investor Update" (PDF). Rocket Lab USA. 8 November 2023.
  44. ^ Sheetz, Michael (6 August 2019). "Rocket Lab unveils plan to land small rockets by catching them with a helicopter". CNBC. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  45. ^ a b Cofield, Calla (26 September 2016). "Rocket Lab Opens Private Orbital Launch Site in New Zealand". Space.com. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  46. ^ "Next Generation Electron Booster on the Pad for Rocket Lab's 10th Mission". Rocket Lab USA. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  47. ^ Foust, Jeff (6 December 2019). "Electron launches smallsats in test of rocket reusability". SpaceNews. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  48. ^ a b Clark, Stephen (6 December 2019). "Rocket Lab's 10th launch tests booster recovery technology". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  49. ^ Sampson, Ben (9 December 2019). "Rocket Lab successfully flight tests re-entry of rocket booster". Aerospace Testing International. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  50. ^ Clark, Stephen (31 January 2020). "Rocket Lab successfully launches NRO satellite". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  51. ^ "Rocket Lab Successfully Deploys NRO Satellite On 11th Electron Mission". Rocket Lab USA. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  52. ^ a b Fletcher, Colin (12 June 2020). "Rocket Lab launches 12th Electron, continues work on future plans". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  53. ^ a b Clark, Stephen (15 April 2020). "Rocket Lab reports recovery test success". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  54. ^ "Rocket Lab launches Electron in test of booster recovery". SpaceNews. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  55. ^ "Rocket Lab to attempt Electron stage recovery on next launch". SpaceNews. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  56. ^ Ryan, Jackson (19 November 2020). "Half-Life 2's garden gnome reaches space aboard Rocket Lab's Electron". CNET. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  57. ^ "Payload User Guide 7.0" (PDF). rocketlabusa.com. Rocket Lab. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  58. ^ "Rocket Lab Launch Payload Users Guide 6.5" (PDF). Rocket Lab USA. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  59. ^ Foust, Jeff (11 August 2020). "Rocket Lab ready to attempt Electron booster recovery". SpaceNews.
  60. ^ "Calendario de Lanzamientos" (PDF). COSMOS (in Spanish). Asociación Aeroespacial COSMOS. January 2021. p. 18. Retrieved 9 December 2021. 15/12 The Owl's Night Begins [...] Lanzamiento del satélite StriX-α. Su tamaño obligó a utilizar una cofia extendida
  61. ^ "Rocket Lab Debuts Fully Autonomous Flight Termination System". spaceref.com. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2020.[permanent dead link]
  62. ^ NASA safety system enables Rocket Lab launch from Wallops Jan 2023
  63. ^ Dodd, Tim (11 October 2018). "Exclusive inside look at Rocket Lab's secret new mega factory!". Everyday Astronaut. Archived from the original on 12 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  64. ^ "Payload User's Guide" (PDF). 4.0. Rocket Lab USA. December 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  65. ^ Grush, Loren (21 January 2018). "Spaceflight startup Rocket Lab sends its Electron rocket to orbit for the first time". The Verge. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  66. ^ Wall, Mike (23 January 2018). "Ex-Prize: Google's US$30 Million Moon Race Ends with No Winner". Space.com. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  67. ^
  68. ^ "Rocket Lab Introduces Suborbital Testbed Rocket, Selected for Hypersonic Test Flights". www.businesswire.com. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  69. ^ Sesnic, Trevor (17 June 2023). "Launch Roundup - Rocket Lab launches first HASTE mission; SpaceX to launch Satria". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  70. ^ "Rocket Lab selects Wallops for U.S. launch site". SpaceNews. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  71. ^ Clark, Stephen (29 June 2019). "Rocket Lab flies again from New Zealand as work progresses at Virginia launch pad". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  72. ^ Harwood, William (24 January 2023). "Rocket Lab launches 3 satellites in first mission from U.S. soil". CBS News. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  73. ^ Amos, Jonathan (16 July 2018). "Scotland to host first UK spaceport". BBC News. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  74. ^ "Sutherland Spaceport Scotland". SpaceTV. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  75. ^ "Rocket Lab Completes Post-Flight Analysis". Rocket Lab USA. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  76. ^ Foust, Jeff (7 August 2017). "Telemetry glitch kept first Electron rocket from reaching orbit". SpaceNews. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  77. ^ Howell, Elizabeth (19 August 2019). "Rocket Lab Electron Booster Launches 4 Satellites Into Orbit". Space.com. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  78. ^ Etherington, Darrell (16 October 2019). "Rocket Lab successfully launches fifth Electron rocket this year". TechCrunch. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  79. ^ Foust, Jeff (4 July 2020). "Rocket Lab Electron launch fails". SpaceNews. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  80. ^ "Rocket Lab's 20th Electron launch ends in failure with the loss of its payload". TechCrunch. 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  81. ^ Clark, Stephen (21 January 2018). "Rocket Lab delivers nanosatellites to orbit on first successful test launch". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  82. ^ Clark, Stephen (17 December 2018). "NASA, Rocket Lab partner on successful satellite launch from New Zealand". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  83. ^ Wall, Mike (31 January 2020). "Rocket Lab launches satellite for U.S. spysat agency, guides booster back to Earth". Space.com. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  84. ^ "Return to Sender". Rocket Lab USA. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
edit
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Electron (rocket).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rocket_Lab_Electron&oldid=1246779762"