NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

It's Business Time

Launch Time
Sun Nov 11, 2018 03:50 UTC

The first operational launch of the Electron rocket.

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

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

Irvine 01

Irvine 01 is a U1 CubeSat built by high school students participating in the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program (ICSP), a consortium of six high schools from Irvine, California. The Irvine 01 mission is an educational mission that gives high school students the experience of building, testing, and controlling a nano-satellite, with the aim of developing interest and talent in the science and engineering fields.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 1.0 kg
Polar Orbit

CICERO

According to Rocket Lab, "It's Business Time will also carry a satellite for GeoOptics Inc., built
by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, Tyvak
Nano-Satellite Systems provides end-to-end nanosatellite solutions to
governments, universities, and commercial organizations."

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 10.0 kg
Polar Orbit

NABEO

According to Rocket Lab, "NABEO is a new drag-augmentation subsystem that will be tested for
the first time as part of the It’s Business Time mission. The NABEO drag sail is a subsystem created to passively de-orbit inactive small satellites. The small sail is an ultra-thin membrane that can be stored tightly within a spacecraft and then deployed once the satellite
reaches the end of its orbital lifespan. The reflective panels unfold to 2.5 square meters to increase the spacecraft’s surface area, causing it to experience greater drag and pull the satellite back into the Earth’s atmosphere, enabling much faster de-orbiting and reducing the
amount of space junk in Low Earth Orbit."

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 1.0 kg
Polar Orbit

Proxima

Two Fleet Space Proxima satellites will form the foundation of Fleet's global IoT communications constellation.

Payloads: 2
Total Mass: 8.0 kg
Sun-Synchronous Orbit

Location

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

Stats

2018

90th orbital launch attempt

Rocket Lab

3rd mission
2nd mission of 2018
2nd successful mission
2nd consecutive successful mission

Electron

3rd mission
2nd mission of 2018
2nd successful mission
2nd consecutive successful mission