Beginning Of The Swarm

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

22:32:00

Tuesday April 23, 2024

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

Read Article

ACS3

Wiki

NASA’s ACS3 technology demonstration uses composite materials - or a combination of materials with different properties, in its novel, lightweight booms that deploy from a CubeSat to support a solar sail. Just as a sailboat is powered by wind in a sail, solar sails employ the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, eliminating the need for conventional rocket propellant. Data obtained from the ACS3 demonstration will guide the design of future larger-scale composite solar sail systems that could be used for space weather early warning satellites, near-Earth asteroid reconnaissance missions, or communications relays for crewed exploration missions.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

1 Payload

16.1 kilograms

NeonSat-1

NeonSat-1 is a high-resolution optical satellite that will be deployed as a technology demonstration for a planned future Earth observation constellation for KAIST. KAIST is Korea’s leading science and technology institution, having developed and operated Korea’s very first satellite KAIST when it was successfully launched more than 30 years ago.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

1 Payload

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-1B

Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand

Fastest Turnaround

8 days 20 hours

Stats

Electron


47th

Mission

5th

Mission of 2024

Rocket Lab


47th

Mission

5th

Mission of 2024

2024


78th

Orbital launch attempt