NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical

Launch Time
Mon Aug 31, 2020 03:05 UTC

Return to flight for Electron. First flight of the Photon kick-stage.

Rocket

Electron/Photon
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

Sequoia

Sequoia is a 100 kg class microsatellite and will be positioned in a 45-degree inclination. This mid-inclination allows Capella to give its customers immediate access to rapid coverage of important regions, including the Middle East, Korea, Japan, Europe, South East Asia, Africa, and the US. Like all of the Capella satellites, Sequoia will be able to see through clouds and in the dark and detect sub-0.5 meter changes on Earth’s surface. When fully deployed, the satellite constellation will offer hourly coverage of every point on Earth.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 100.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit

First Light

The Photon third stage for this mission demonstrated its ability to act as a kick stage and satellite.

Payloads: 1
Low Earth Orbit

Location

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

Stats

2020

66th orbital launch attempt

Rocket Lab

14th mission
4th mission of 2020
12th successful mission
1st consecutive successful mission

Electron

14th mission
4th mission of 2020
12th successful mission
1st consecutive successful mission