Still Testing

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

01:43:00

Sunday January 21, 2018

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

Read Article

Launch Notes

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

Dove Pioneer

Wiki

An Earth observation satellite for Planet Labs.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

1 Payload

5 kilograms

Lemur-2

Wiki

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.

Polar Orbit

2 Payloads

8 kilograms

Humanity Star

Wiki

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.

Polar Orbit

1 Payload

10 kilograms

Rocket

Active
Electron/Curie

Active Since 2018


Price

$7.50 million

Rocket

Height: 18m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 320 kg

Liftoff Thrust

224 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 1.2m

Height: 4.05m

Stages

3

Launch Site

Rocket Lab LC-1A

Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand

Fastest Turnaround

15 days 1 hour

Stats

Electron


2nd

Mission

1st

Mission of 2018

Rocket Lab


2nd

Mission

1st

Mission of 2018

2018


10th

Orbital launch attempt