NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Still Testing

Launch Time
Sun Jan 21, 2018 01:43 UTC

The first successful launch of the Electron rocket. First flight of the Curie stage.

Rocket

Electron/Curie
Image Credit: Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab
Status: Active
Price: $7.5 million
Liftoff Thrust: 224 kN
Payload to LEO: 320 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 18.0 m
Fairing Diameter: 1.2 m
Fairing Height: 4.05 m

Mission Details

Humanity Star

Humanity Star is a highly reflective polyhedron launched on the It's a Test and Still Testing maiden flights of the Electron rocket. It was designed and built by Rocket Lab specifically for this mission.

It is a bright, blinking satellite orbiting Earth, visible to the naked eye in the night sky. The Humanity Star is designed to encourage everyone to look up and consider our place in the universe.

Created by Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck, the Humanity Star is a geodesic sphere made from carbon fibre with 65 highly reflective panels. It spins rapidly, reflecting the sun’s rays back to Earth, creating a flashing light that can be seen against a backdrop of stars.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 10.0 kg
Polar Orbit

Dove Pioneer

An Earth observation satellite for Planet Labs.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 5.0 kg
Sun-Synchronous Orbit

Lemur-2

Spire satellites are built to conform to the CubeSat standard. The satellites are multi-sensor. Data types such as Automatic Identification System (AIS) service are used for tracking ships, and weather payloads measure temperature, pressure, and precipitation. AIS data is meant for use in illegal fishing, trade monitoring, maritime domain awareness, insurance, asset tracking, search and rescue, and piracy.

Payloads: 2
Total Mass: 8.0 kg
Polar Orbit

Location

Rocket Lab LC-1A, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand

Stats

2018

10th orbital launch attempt

Rocket Lab

2nd mission
1st mission of 2018
1st successful mission
1st consecutive successful mission

Electron

2nd mission
1st mission of 2018
1st successful mission
1st consecutive successful mission