NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

The Owl’s Night Begins

Launch Time
Tue Dec 15, 2020 10:09 UTC

The StriX-α satellite was too large to fit in a conventional fairing, so Electron used a modified one on this flight, with 4 extensions on the sides.

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

StriX-α

The StriX-α satellite is the first in Synspective’s planned StriX constellation designed to provide geospatial solutions. SAR satellites actively observe and acquire Earth surface information by transmitting and receiving reflected microwaves. Compared with optical satellites, which rely on sunlight reflection, SAR can capture images of the ground surface in all weather conditions and at any time of the day or night.

Synspective is planning a constellation of 25 satellites called StriX, comprised of 100-kilogram satellites capable of imaging at a resolution of one to three meters. By 2022 the company plans to have six satellites in orbit. The company has not set a date by which it hopes to achieve 25 satellites.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 150.0 kg
Sun-Synchronous Orbit

Location

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

Stats

2020

107th orbital launch attempt

Rocket Lab

17th mission
7th mission of 2020
15th successful mission
4th consecutive successful mission

Electron

17th mission
7th mission of 2020
15th successful mission
4th consecutive successful mission