A Closer Look At Rocket Lab & Its Separation Systems
Current estimates predict the space industry and launch market among other aspects to grow significantly in the coming years. As time goes on, more and more companies are expected to need launch services, satellite components, and much more. All of which are vital pieces of increasing access to space and supplying for the expected demand.
Companies such as Rocket Lab often get noticed for their impressive Electron launches or future plans including Neutron. While all very exciting, Rocket Lab is working on much more than just launching rockets. Over the past few years, the company has continued to acquire different companies working on satellite components, space hardware, etc.
An example is PSC and separation systems. In the grand scheme of things, Rocket Lab is working towards helping build, support, and launch satellites of the future. Recent updates highlight their continued progress towards this goal of becoming an all around space service company rather than just a launch service. Here I will go more in-depth into the recent news from Rocket Lab, and why exactly they are working on separation systems when they already have so much on their plate.
Rocket Lab Separation Systems
In the short period of time since Rocket Lab got involved with separation systems, we have seen the company grow and become a major provider of the component. Just yesterday Rocket Lab tweeted saying, “Our 500th satellite separation system has been delivered to our customers! With a track record of 100% mission success, our Maryland-based team has made spacecraft separation anxiety a thing of the past.”
In December of 2021, Rocket Lab announced that it had closed the previously-announced transaction to acquire Planetary Systems Corporation (PSC), a Maryland-based spacecraft separation systems company, for $42 million in cash and 1,720,841 shares of the Company’s common stock, plus the potential for an additional 956,023 shares of common stock for a performance earnout based on PSC’s CY 2022 and 2023 financial results. Rocket Lab announced the execution of the agreement to acquire PSC on 15 November, 2021 pending certain closing conditions. For more than 15 years, PSC’s Lightband separation systems used to separate satellites from rockets have enabled customers to lower their mission costs and streamline payload integration time from days to just minutes. PSC’s fully-encapsulated Canisterized Satellite Dispensers (CSD) are a reliable and cost-effective housing for small satellites that minimizes damage risk and eliminates the necessity for heavy or complicated interface structures between satellites and the launch vehicle. In addition, PSC’s Lightbands and CSDs complement Rocket Lab’s space hardware offering that includes the Maxwell satellite dispenser, the industry’s lightest CubeSat dispenser in its class. Incorporating Rocket Lab’s signature carbon-composite material and design, Maxwell is optimized for mass and simplicity and fully integrated with Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle, simplifying payload integration and deployment for small satellite mission.
Considered a trusted leader in separation systems and satellite dispensers across the space industry, PSC’s flight-proven, cost-effective, and lightweight hardware streamlines the process of attaching satellites to rockets and releasing them in space while ensuring they’re protected during the journey to orbit. PSC’s products to date have a 100% mission success heritage across more than 100 missions launched with American launch providers including Rocket Lab, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Northrop Grumman, and more; NASA Space Shuttle and International Space Station missions; and international launch vehicles operated by Arianespace, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and others. PSC’s products have become a key offering in Rocket Lab’s vertically-integrated Space Systems division alongside its own in-house manufactured and operated Photon spacecraft line, Maxwell satellite dispensers, satellite components, and mission flight software by Advanced Solutions, Inc (ASI), which recently joined the portfolio through acquisition in the past.
The deal also enabled PSC to make use of Rocket Lab’s resources and manufacturing capability to grow their already-strong commercial hardware trade and continue serving their existing satellite customers launching spacecraft on other launch vehicles. After the acquisition, PSC’s team of 25 people continued to be led by the company’s President and CEO Mike Whalen in Maryland, with founder Walter Holemans also remaining in his role of Chief Engineer. When the acquisition was first announced, Rocket Lab CEO and founder, Peter Beck, said, “Easier and faster access to space relies on proven, affordable hardware being available at scale. By bringing PSC into the fold, Rocket Lab truly simplifies the journey to orbit as a one-stop-shop for a customer’s full mission needs – from launch, spacecraft build and operation with Photon, manufacture of mission-critical components for satellites, flight software, and now, separation systems. We’re thrilled to welcome PSC to the team and further strengthen our position as a leading end-to-end space company.” In addition, PSC Chief Engineer and founder, Walter Holemans, mentioned, “For over 20 years we’ve honed our craft and dedicated ourselves to producing separation systems the satellite community can rely upon, and we’re proud of our strong heritage of 100% mission success across more than 100 missions. We’re excited to build on that distinguished history by joining Rocket Lab and scaling our manufacturing to make our hardware available to support more missions now and long into the future.”
What Is PSC?
Now that we know more about Rocket Lab’s acquisition of the company, we can take a closer look at PSC and the separation systems themselves. PSC or Planetary Systems Corporation is a company that works to manufacture innovative, cost-effective, and test-verified spacecraft mechanisms for the aerospace industry. The company was founded in 1998 with the goal of providing high-quality, affordable mechanical systems to the aerospace industry. PSC has invested over two million dollars and nearly eight years of R&D to produce the Lightband. Lightband is patented in the US and abroad. The two main lightband options that Rocket Lab and PSC offer are the Advanced Lightband and the Mark 2 Motorized Lightband.
The Advanced Lightband (ALB) is the next generation in space vehicle separation systems. It is used to separate space vehicles from launch vehicles and to separate elements of launch vehicles. The Advanced Lightband is offered in a range of sizes from 8 to 24 inch bolt circle diameter. The ALB is an advancement based on decades of work by PSC manufacturing hundreds of separation systems for commercial, government, private and university customers, in LEO, GEO, and interplanetary orbits. The ALB is a patented, Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technology. It is made and verified with materials and methods consistent with high-reliability space flight hardware. They market the product as easy to use, reliable, stiffer and stronger, integrated solution, and more.
Next is the Mark 2 Motorized Lightband. The Mark II Motorized Lightband (MLB) is a space vehicle separation system. It is used to separate space vehicles from launch vehicles and to separate elements of launch vehicles. The Lightband is offered in a range of sizes from 8 to 38 inch bolt circle diameter. The MLB is made of aluminum alloys. The lower ring has hinged leaves, springs, and a dual redundant release motor. The upper ring has a load-bearing hinge interface. The MLB can support up to 1200lb payloads, and has been in production for several years. The MLB has extensive flight heritage. The Lightband is a patented, Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technology. It is made with materials and methods consistent with high-reliability and Class-A space flight hardware, the same as the advanced lightband.
In addition to the different separation systems, the company also works on satellite dispensers which Rocket Lab offers as well. For example, The Canisterized Satellite Dispenser (CSD) is a reliable, testable, and cost-effective deployment mechanism for small secondary or tertiary payloads. It fully encapsulates the payload during launch and thus provides privacy and mission assurance for both the primary payload and launch vehicle. The CSD is incredibly easy to load, integrate, and operate. With no consumables, ground testing is even easier. The CSD allows users to stow a payload, eject, and re-stow in seconds. The CSD has the largest internal volume and allows more room for solar panels and other deployable. With an array of mount points, the CSD allows mounting to any face. This reduces the necessity for heavy interface structures and allows the CSDs to be densely packaged on the launch vehicle.
Conclusion
Not only are companies within the space industry working on new and ambitious launch options, but also additional components necessary for accessing space. Rocket Lab is a great example as they clearly point out how they intend to be a one-stop shop, and provide much more than just a ride to space. We will have to see how it progresses and the impact it has on the space industry.
