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An experimental satellite for Canon Electronics and nine CubeSats for the Earth Imaging Planet were launched into orbit from New Zealand on Wednesday above a Rocket Lab Electron booster, taking the place of a similar spacecraft destroyed in a Rocket Lab launch failure in July .
Nine of Rutherford’s main engines came to life and sent the nearly 18-meter high Electron rocket into an overcast sky at 17:21:27 EDT (21:21: 27 GMT) on Wednesday. A live webcast from Rocket Lab showed the all-black carbon fiber launcher moving away from the company’s private spaceport in New Zealand’s North Island.
The take-off took place on Thursday at 10:21 local time in New Zealand.
Producing more than 50,000 pounds of thrust, the nine kerosene-powered main engines propelled the Electron rocket through a gray layer of cloud. Flying south over the Pacific Ocean, the Electron’s first stage shut down and launched about two and a half minutes after takeoff, and a single engine fired to continue the mission in Earth’s orbit.
Moments later, the aerodynamic veil covering the 10 payloads of the rocket’s satellite was thrown overboard. The rocket released a dead battery for nearly seven minutes into the mission, while the second-stage motor switched to a new battery to power its turbopumps.
Nine minutes after take-off, the second stage engine shut down and the Rocket Lab kick stage deployed. After navigating Antarctica, the kick stage Curie engine fired for about two minutes to achieve a circular orbit of approximately 310 miles (500 kilometers) of altitude, with an inclination of 97.5 degrees from the equator.
The 10 small satellites on the soccer stage separated in orbit on the target about an hour into the mission, according to Rocket Lab.
Rocket Lab dubbed the mission “In Focus” in honor of the 10 Earth observation satellites aboard the Electron launcher. The California-based company has delayed its launch since Oct. 21 to evaluate an issue with an oxygen sensor.
“Congratulations to Planet for adding their latest SuperDove to their constellation and to the Canon Electronics team for implementing their latest technology demonstration satellite,” said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO. provided smooth travel into orbit and precise implementation for our individual rideshare customers.
The mission on Wednesday marked Rocket Lab’s fifteenth launch of an Electron booster and the company’s fifth mission of 2020.
“Continuing to launch in the face of global upheaval and adversity, while becoming the second most used US launch vehicle this year, is the latest demonstration of our dedication to providing continuous and easy access to space for our customers. “Beck said.
The largest spacecraft on Wednesday’s mission was the CE-SAT-2B, an Earth observation satellite for Japan’s Canon Electronics.
The 78-pound (35.5-kilogram) spacecraft is Canon’s third microsatellite to be launched, following an experimental Earth imaging station launched in 2017 on an Indian PSLV rocket.
A later satellite called the CE-SAT 1B was launched in July on a previous Rocket Lab mission, but was destroyed when the Electron rocket failed before reaching orbit.
According to Canon, the CE-SAT-2B carries three types of cameras to be demonstrated in orbit.
“With the newly developed ultra-high-sensitivity camera, the CE-SAT-2B is able to observe the Earth at night,” Canon said in a press release. “The satellite is equipped with three types of cameras, including the Canon mirrorless camera and the compact digital camera.
“The CE-SAT-2B will go through a two-year demonstration experiment for the upcoming production of cassegrain reflectors as a series,” Canon said.
Spaceflight, a Seattle-based launch broker, organized the launch of the CE-SAT-2B with Rocket Lab.
Nine SuperDove satellites for Earth imaging, each the size of a large shoebox, ejected from Maxwell deployments on the Electron rocket stage. The SuperDove payloads, built and owned by Planet, will replace five similar satellites – collectively known as “Flock 4e” – which were also lost during Rocket Lab’s failed mission in July.
“Emerging from the unfortunate Flock 4e launch incident on Electron in July, this upcoming launch is about the resilience and agility of Planet and Rocket Lab to get back on the pad so quickly,” Planet wrote in a post on its website. “These SuperDove will be deployed in a synchronous orbit (SSO) of approximately 500 km (310 miles) of morning crossing, joining the rest of the flock already providing unprecedented medium resolution global coverage and retelling.”
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Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @ StephenClark1.
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