наноспутники Lemur-2 – Electron – Mahia – 11.11.2018 03:50 UTC

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http://spacenews.com/technical-issue-delays-next-rocket-lab-electron-launch/

Technical issue delays next Rocket Lab Electron launch
by Jeff Foust — April 17, 2018


Rocket Lab says its third Electron launch, called "It's Business Time," will be delayed a few weeks because of a problem detected in a recent wet dress rehearsal. Credit: Rocket Lab

COLORADO SPRINGS — Rocket Lab is postponing its next launch by a few weeks because of a technical problem, but the company says it is optimistic about its long-term prospects as demand for its small launch vehicle grows.

The company, headquartered in the United States but with launch operations in New Zealand, announced April 17 that it was postponing a launch of its Electron rocket scheduled for April 19 because of a problem detected in a wet dress rehearsal a few days earlier.

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In an interview during the 34th Space Symposium here, Rocket Lab Chief Executive Peter Beck said that engineers detected "unusual behavior" in a motor controller for one of the nine engines in its first stage. "We want to take some time to review that data," he said on the decision to delay the launch.

The next launch window for the mission is in about three weeks, he said. While Rocket Lab owns its own launch site on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula, he said the company has to work with third parties that provide range safety services when scheduling launches. That should also be enough time, he added to assess the problem and make any hardware changes to the vehicle.

Beck said there had been no other technical issues with the vehicle either during its assembly or the dress rehearsal. "It was super smooth," he said. "The team is starting to get into a groove."

The launch, dubbed "It's Business Time," will be the first commercial launch of the Electron after two test flights. The rocket is carrying two Lemur-2 cubesats for Spire, a company that operates a constellation of such satellites for collecting weather and ship-tracking data. It will also carry a satellite built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems for GeoOptics, a company that also is developing a constellation to collect weather data through GPS radio occultations.

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Rocket Lab is also gearing up for the next launch after that, which will carry a set of cubesats provided by NASA under a Venture Class Launch Services contract awarded in 2015. The cubesats were integrated last week at Rocket Lab's facility in California.

Beck said the company has worked well with NASA on that upcoming mission. "That Venture Class contracting vehicle that they put forward is just incredible," he said. "The oversight they've provided has been tremendously valuable for us."

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Rocket Lab plans to increase its launch rate this year to one launch a month, and then to one launch every two weeks in 2019. Beck said the company has seen strong interest from a variety of commercial and government customers, and expects to announce new launch contracts in the next few weeks.

That increased launch rate is helping the company's bottom line. Beck said he estimated that Rocket Lab will be cash-flow neutral by the middle of this year. "The business is looking in very good shape."

Rocket Lab has grown significantly, with about 250 employees worldwide. The majority are in New Zealand, but Beck said its U.S. operations are ramping up. That includes the hire earlier this month of Adam Spice as chief financial officer.

Beck sought to differentiate Rocket Lab's Electron with the growing number of small launch vehicles in various stages of development. "There's a lot of talk in this industry, a lot of promises, but we're the only one delivering payloads to orbit," he said. "There are a lot of companies out there and we wish them absolutely all the best, but it's a long way from a test fire to orbit."

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Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 17 мин. назад

Shane Fleming, Rocket Lab: fixed issue with motor controller son Electron that postponed launch last month. Shipping vehicle back to the launch site in the "coming weeks." #SpaceTechExpo

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Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab 11 мин. назад

IT'S BUSINESS TIME. New 14-day launch window opens 23 June 2018, NZST. Bonus: We added more payload. Read more - https://bit.ly/2J4sjvQ 

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Michael Sheetz‏Подлинная учетная запись @thesheetztweetz 11 мин. назад

.@RocketLab 14-day launch window for #ItsBusinessTime: June 23–July 6, between 20:30–00:30 EST (00:30–04:30 UTC) each day.

Commercial payloads onboard:
2 @SpireGlobal Lemur-2 satellites,
1 GeoOptics satellite,
1 IRVINE01 cubesat, and
HPS GmbH's drag sail tech demonstrator.

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https://www.rocketlabusa.com/news/updates/rocket-lab-confirms-new-its-business-time-launch-window-and-bolsters-manifest/

Rocket Lab confirms new 'It's Business Time' launch window and bolsters manifest

Huntington Beach, California. Friday 25 May 2018:

US orbital launch provider Rocket Lab has today confirmed the new launch window for the upcoming 'It's Business Time' mission. The 14-day launch window will open from 23 June to 6 July (NZST), with launch opportunities between 12:30 – 16:30 NZST daily (00:30 – 04:30 UTC).

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The launch window, originally slated for 20 April – 3 May 2018, was moved after unusual behavior was identified in a motor controller during a wet dress rehearsal. The team used the additional time to review data, identify the cause of the issue and put corrective measures in place. As the corrective measures were implemented, additional customers were added to the launch manifest, including IRVINE01, an educational payload from the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program (ICSP), and NABEO, a drag sail technology demonstrator designed and built by High Performance Space Structure Systems GmBH. Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation assisted with the pairing of NABEO with Electron as a candidate hosted technology demonstrator. These new payloads join existing 'It's Business Time' customers, including two Lemur-2 satellites from Spire Global and a GeoOptics Inc. satellite, built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems. The payloads will be launched to a 500km x 250km elliptical orbit at 85 degrees, before being circularized using Rocket Lab's Curie engine powered kick stage.

The NABEO drag sail is a system created to passively de-orbit inactive small satellites. The small sail is an ultra-thin membrane that can be coiled up tightly within a spacecraft and then deployed once the satellite reaches the end of its orbital lifespan. The reflective panels unfold to 2.5 square meters to increase the spacecraft's surface area, causing it to experience greater drag and pull the satellite back into the Earth's atmosphere, enabling much faster de-orbiting and reducing the amount of space junk in Low Earth Orbit.

The Irvine CubeSat STEM Program is a joint educational endeavor to teach, train and inspire the next generation of STEM professionals. It is comprised of students from six different American high schools (Beckman, Irvine, Northwood, Portola, University, and Woodbridge) in the city of Irvine , California, and powered by private sector donation through Irvine Public Schools Foundation. The students' main objective is to assemble, test and launch a nano-satellite into low Earth orbit. Approximately 150 students are involved in the program at any one time. Aboard IRVINE01 is a low-resolution camera that will take pictures of Venus, stars and other celestial objects. Data from these images can be used to calculate distances to stars and determine pointing accuracy and stability of the satellite. Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems is the payload integrator for IRVINE01 and worked closely with Rocket Lab USA to identify this opportunity for a rapid flight certification process.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck says the addition of new payloads to the mission manifest highlights Rocket Lab's ability to respond rapidly to customer demand in an ever-evolving small satellite market.

"Rocket Lab's responsive space model is crucial to support the exponential growth of the small satellite market. That a customer can come to us seeking a ride to orbit and we can have them booked to launch in weeks is unheard of in the launch business," he says.

"Small satellites are playing an increasingly important role in providing crucial services that benefit millions of people on Earth. Frequent access to orbit is the key to unlocking the potential for these satellites, and Rocket Lab is the only small launch provider currently enabling this access."

'It's Business Time' will launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, the world's only private orbital launch facility. The site is licensed to launch every 72 hours and offer's the widest range of orbital inclinations of any launch site on the globe.

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Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF 9 мин. назад

.@RocketLab announces new launch date & added payloads for "It's Business Time" #Electron flight. New launch window opens on 23 June and extends to 6 July 2018, with daily launch opportunities occurring between 12:30-16:30 NZST (0030-0430 UTC). #NewZealand

https://tinyurl.com/y88ozwzn 

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https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/05/rocket-lab-new-launch-date-payloads-business-time-electron-flight/

Rocket Lab announces new launch date, payloads for "It's Business Time" Electron flight
written by Chris Gebhardt | May 25, 2018

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Michael Sheetz‏Подлинная учетная запись @thesheetztweetz 16 ч. назад

Additional payload IRVINE01 was built by students of 6 highschools in Irvine, CA with the objective of taking pictures of the planet Venus and stars with its onboard camera.

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/25/rocket-lab-updates-launch-window-for-first-commercial-mission/

Rocket Lab updates launch window for first commercial mission
May 25, 2018 | Stephen Clark


File photo of an Electron rocket. Credit: Rocket Lab

After a two-month delay to resolve a technical concern, Rocket Lab plans to launch its first commercial mission as soon as June 22, U.S. time, from the company's rocket base in New Zealand, the company announced Friday.

Rocket Lab has four-hour launch windows available during a 14-day period extending from June 22 through July 5, U.S. time, with the daily window opening at 8:30 p.m. EDT. That translates to 0030 GMT or 12:30 p.m. New Zealand time the following day.

The company's third privately-developed Electron rocket, and its first fully commercial mission, was scheduled to lift off in April, but engineers discovered "unusual behavior" in a motor controller inside one of the booster's nine first stage engines, Rocket Lab officials said.

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"The team used the additional time to review data, identify the cause of the issue and put corrective measures in place," Rocket Lab said in a statement.

The Electron rocket will blast off from Rocket Lab's commercially-operated launch site on Mahia Peninsula on the eastern shore of New Zealand's North Island.

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Rocket Lab said it took advantage of the two-month delay to add two more payloads to the mission, which the company has christened "It's Business Time."

One of the new satellite passengers is Irvine01, a educational CubeSat built by California high school students. Irvine01 is part of the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program, comprising members from six high schools in Irvine, California.

The other payload added to the next Electron launch is a drag sail technology demonstrator named NABEO. Developed by High Performance Space Structure Systems in Germany, the NABEO small satellite mission will test a deployable membrane uses aerodynamic drag to slow down and de-orbit, a capability that could reduce space junk in low Earth orbit.

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Rocket Lab said Ecliptic Enterprises and Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems assisted with accommodating the Irvine01 and NABEO payloads on the Electron mission.

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO, said in a statement that the rapid accommodation of the two additional payloads demonstrates the company's responsiveness to changing launch demand.

"Rocket Lab's responsive space model is crucial to support the exponential growth of the small satellite market," Beck said. "That a customer can come to us seeking a ride to orbit and we can have them booked to launch in weeks is unheard of in the launch business."

"Small satellites are playing an increasingly important role in providing crucial services that benefit millions of people on Earth. Frequent access to orbit is the key to unlocking the potential for these satellites, and Rocket Lab is the only small launch provider currently enabling this access."

Rocket Lab's Electron launcher reached orbit for the first time in January, on its second test flight after a maiden mission fell short of orbit in May 2017 due to a ground tracking error that led safety officials to prematurely terminate the launch.

The Jan. 20 test flight placed four small satellites in orbit, but the mission's primary objective was to demonstrate the Electron's performance. The successful test flight led Rocket Lab officials to declare the launcher ready for commercial service, beginning with its next mission.

The Electron booster can carry up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) to a polar orbit around 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth. The rocket's capacity to a lower-altitude orbit is up to 500 pounds (225 kilograms), according to Rocket Lab.

The rocket company, founded in New Zealand and headquartered in Southern California, says it can launch an Electron rocket for less than $5 million per flight.

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The Irvine01 and NABEO payloads will join two CubeSats for Spire Global, and one nanosatellite for GeoOptics that were already booked on the upcoming Electron launch.

The Spire and GeoOptics payloads will measure GPS satellite navigation signals passed through Earth's atmosphere to derive information about weather and climate.

The flight profile for the launch next month will place the satellites into an orbit ranging between 155 miles and 310 miles (250 kilometers and 500 kilometers) at an inclination of 85 degrees, then the Electron's Curie kick stage will circularize the orbit, according to Rocket Lab.

Rocket Lab's fourth launch, set to follow soon after the next mission, will be dedicated to launching CubeSats sponsored by NASA and developed by U.S. research institutions.

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Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab 36 мин. назад

Electron is on the pad and gearing up for #ItsBusinessTime! Launch window opens 12:30, 23 June NZST. (00:30 UTC).

Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck 40 мин. назад

It's Business Time, again

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Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab 6 ч. назад

We're excited to launch NABEO to orbit on #ItsBusinessTime! Built by HPS GmbH, the NABEO drag sail can be stored in a spacecraft, then deployed once the satellite reaches the end of its orbital life. The sail increases surface area and deorbits the sat faster = less space junk!

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Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck 11 ч. назад

Mission control and team humming, Fueling for wet dress.

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Peter Beck‏ @Peter_J_Beck 6 ч. назад

Perfect wet dress today from the team and Electron. #ItsBusinessTime is ready for flight next week! #INeverWantToHoldAgain

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NOTAM

NZZO

B3638/18 - DANGER AREA NZD023 (EAST AUCKLAND OCEANIC FIR) ACT. REF AIP SUP 59/18. SFC - FL999, 23 JUN 00:00 2018 UNTIL 23 JUN 05:05 2018. CREATED: 17 JUN 22:54 2018

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Активированы зоны NZD493, NZR494

NZZC

B3639/18 - DANGER AREA NZD493 (MAHIA, HAWKE'S BAY) ACT.
REF AIP SUP 59/18. SFC - FL999, 23 JUN 00:00 2018 UNTIL 23 JUN 05:05 2018. CREATED:
17 JUN 22:56 2018
 
B3640/18 - TEMPO RESTRICTED AREA NZR494 (MAHIA, HAWKE'S BAY) ACT.
REF AIP SUP 59/18. SFC - 13500FT AMSL, 23 JUN 00:00 2018 UNTIL 23 JUN 05:05
2018. CREATED: 17 JUN 22:58 2018

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К #33, #34

aip_supp_21jun18.pdf

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SAFETY ZONES DURING A ROCKET LAB LAUNCH

http://www.rocketlabusa.com/assets/Uploads/Its-Business-Time-public-launch-information.pdf - 1686209 B, 2 стр, 2018-05-23 02:24:08 UTC

http://www.rocketlabusa.com/assets/Uploads/Its-Business-Time-public-launch-information2.pdf- 1686209 B, 2 стр, 2018-05-23 02:26:43 UTC

http://www.rocketlabusa.com/assets/Uploads/Its-Business-Time-public-launch-information3.pdf- 1686209 B, 2 стр, 2018-05-23 02:27:52 UTC

Прим. Все три файла полностью идентичны.

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Rocket Lab
15 июня в 22:05 · 

The team conducted a perfect wet dress rehearsal today at Launch Complex 1. #ItsBusinessTime is ready for flight next week!
Launch window opens 12:30 pm, Saturday 23 June NZST (00:30 UTC).
The live webcast will be available approximately 15 minutes prior to launch at

www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream

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Выпущена брошюра миссии

Its-Business-Time-Press-Kit.pdf - 2.4 MB, 7 стр, 2018-06-18 01:07:35 UTC

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ПН

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