Rocket Lab to launch Nasa's small satellites this year
Tuesday, 1 May 2018
Rocket Lab will kickstart a Nasa mission this year, following through on a multi-million-dollar deal.
US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (Nasa) scientists completed the final touches on its small satellites last week.
They were on their way to New Zealand to be loaded onto a Rocket Lab Electron rocket that would be launched from Māhia Peninsula, near Gisborne, before the middle of this year.
Rocket Lab signed a US$6.9 million (NZ$9.8m) deal with Nasa in October 2015 to be one of three launch companies of the agency's nanosatellites.
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Rocket Lab would be the first to launch Nasa's satellites for its Venture Class Launch Services mission.
The launch was has been delayed by about a year. A Rocket Lab statement announcing the Nasa contract in 2015, said the satellites would launch between late 2016 or early 2017.
United States space firms Firefly Space Systems and Virgin Galactic were granted the other two launch contracts, worth US$5.5m and US$4.7m respectively.
Rocket Lab spokeswoman Morgan Bailey said the company did not have any other contracts with Nasa, but the launch would pave the way for future deals with the agency.
Rocket Lab's Electron rockets were built to place small satellites into low-earth orbit at a lower cost.
Founder Peter Beck said the company's rockets had made rapid and repeatable access to orbit possible.
'Before Rocket Lab's Electron vehicle, launch opportunities for small satellites were mostly limited to rideshare-type arrangements on large launch vehicles, flying only when space was available on Nasa and other launches.'
The company partly manufactured its rockets in south Auckland but mainly in the US, planned to make its first commercial launch in April from Māhia.
However, three days before the launch window was due to open on April 20, Rocket Lab delayed it due to 'unusual behaviour' with a motor controller, the company said.
It was understood Nasa's satellites would not be launched on that rocket. They would be loaded onto Rocket Lab's next rocket for its second commercial flight.
Rocket Lab launched its first rocket in May last year. In its second trial launch in January, it successfully released satellites into orbit.