Rocket Lab Prepares for Capella Space Mission Launch from New Zealand

Written by Copernical Team Thursday, 11 July 2024 14:35

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

Write a comment

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 11, 2024

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems, has scheduled its 51st Electron launch, a mission dedicated to American space tech company Capella Space ("Capella"). The mission, titled 'A Sky Full Of SARs,' will launch within a 14-day window opening on July 21 NZST / July 20 UTC from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula. T

Rocket Lab Prepares for Capella Space Mission Launch from New Zealand
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 11, 2024

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems, has scheduled its 51st Electron launch, a mission dedicated to American space tech company Capella Space ("Capella").

The mission, titled 'A Sky Full Of SARs,' will launch within a 14-day window opening on July 21 NZST / July 20 UTC from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula. This mission will place Capella's Acadia-3 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite into a mid-inclination 615km circular orbit, enhancing Capella's existing constellation of SAR satellites in low Earth orbit.

This launch marks Rocket Lab's fifth mission for Capella, supporting the expansion of Capella's Earth-imaging capabilities. Rocket Lab will provide a custom extended fairing and a separation system for the Acadia-3 satellite, offering a tailored launch solution that ensures the safe and reliable deployment of Capella's satellite. This dedicated launch service allows Capella to focus on their satellite's functionalities and the growth of their constellation.

"It's great to be heading back to the pad for Capella once again," says Rocket Lab Founder and CEO, Peter Beck. "The team is focused on and dedicated to delivering this latest SAR satellite to orbit to build out Capella's constellation, and we're honored by their continued trust in Rocket Lab and Electron to help support their overarching mission."

Capella Space CEO Frank Backes adds, "We're looking forward to working with Rocket Lab again in order to continue expanding Capella's constellation with our industry-leading, next-generation satellite technology. It's with partners like Rocket Lab that we're able to serve the mission requirements of our customers today with high-resolution, high-quality SAR imagery, building a fully-automated and reliable constellation to meet the needs of customers for tomorrow."

Capella, an American space tech firm, offers data and satellite solutions for both government and commercial use. Their SAR imagery technology provides clear images in any weather, day or night, from anywhere on Earth. Delivered through a fully-automated ordering and delivery platform, Capella's imagery includes long-dwell imaging and extended duty cycles, collecting more images per orbit than other SAR systems. The Acadia satellite will boost Capella's constellation with more bandwidth, increased power, faster downlink speeds, and reduced latency.

This will be Rocket Lab's ninth mission in 2024 and the 51st Electron launch overall.

'A Sky Full Of SARs' mission details:

- Launch window: NET July 21, NZST / July 20, UTC.
- Launch location: Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia.
- Launch Vehicle: Electron.
- Satellite Operator: Capella Space.
- Payload: SAR Earth-imaging Acadia satellite.
- Orbital Destination: 615km circular Earth orbit.