Rocket Lab is back in business. On Sunday, the private spaceflight company launched its first successful rocket following its failed flight on July 5, when an issue during the second-stage burnout resulted in the loss of seven satellites belonging to three companies.
The latest mission, called I can’t believe it’s not opticalA 100kg class microsatellar was deployed for San Francisco-based Capella Space, an information services company that provides Earth observation data on demand.
I do not believe that it is not optical & # 39; Pad has been approved for our 14th electron launch! pic.twitter.com/Nwezb3T0Hr
& Mdash; Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) August 31, 2020
Rocket Lab’s electron rocket departed the launch site on Sunday, 30 August at 8:05 pm PT (3 August local time on Monday 31 August) in the Mahia Peninsula of New Zealand.
The mission had already missed two launch schedules in recent times due to inclement weather, but fortunately conditions had become more settled for this latest effort, with clear blue skies all around.
The failed mission in July, credited to “an unethical electrical connection”. Rocket Lab CEO prompted Peter Beck to post a personal video message in which he apologized to customers who had satellites on board. He also promised to resolve the issue to expedite operations.
Beck founded Rocket Lab in 2006 in an effort to grab a slice of the rideshare market for small-satellite launches using his specially built electron rocket. Companies like SpaceX and Virgin Orbit are also working in the same field.
Similar to SpaceX, Rocket Lab is developing a reusable rocket system to help reduce operating costs. But SpaceX’s system shuts off the first-stage booster soon after launch – it made such a landing today and you can see it here – Rocket Lab with a grappling hook to drop a booster falling from the sky. Is planning to use the helicopter. It returns to Earth. It recently performed tricks in a test run using a dummy rocket. Since the system is not yet ready, Sunday’s mission did not include booster recovery.
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