Electron Finishes Test In Preparation For First LC-2 Launch, New TROPICS Contracts, & More
A rocket’s launch cadence can make or break different launch providers within the space industry, especially small-lift launch providers. With the addition of a second pad at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, Rocket Lab now has 130 launch opportunities each year. However, before the company gains access to this capability, they need to successfully lift off from the launch complex.
Only days from now Rocket Lab is set to launch Electron from Launch Complex 2 for the first time ever. Recently Electron was erected at the pad and went through a few tests in preparation for the launch scheduled to happen on December 7th. If successful, Rocket Lab will now operate two different launch complexes in unique locations offering new capabilities going forward.
This will also be the first launch from the United States, helping Rocket Lab gain more contacts with NASA and other U.S. government agencies in the future. Not to mention new contracts from NASA including TROPICS missions which we recently saw Astra fail to launch. Here I will go more in-depth into some of the recent updates on this launch, why it’s so important, what to expect in the future, and more.
New Updates
After Electron arrived at the launch site not long ago, Rocket Lab has been busy preparing the rocket for its first mission from Launch Complex 2. Earlier this month on the 21st Rocket Lab tweeted saying, “Launch rehearsal at LC-2? Complete. The countdown is on to our first launch from Virginia, carrying a Virginia payload for @HawkEye360.” Specifically, the mission will take place from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility – a launch pad developed to support U.S. Electron missions for government and commercial customers.
In relation to the tweet, known as a Wet Dress Rehearsal, this pre-launch exercise sees the launch team carry out the same activities and procedures they will conduct on launch day to ensure the Electron rocket, launch pad, and supporting systems are ready for flight. As part of the rehearsal, Electron was rolled out to the launch pad and raised vertically before it was loaded with fuel and liquid oxygen to verify fuelling procedures. The launch team then conducted a full launch countdown, ending before the final step of engine ignition of Electron’s Rutherford engines. Electron was then detanked of fuel and returned to Rocket Lab’s Integration and Control Facility (ICF) at the Wallops Research Park to await launch during a window that extends from December 7 – 20.
The “Virginia Is For Launch Lovers” mission will deploy three satellites for radio frequency geospatial analytics provider HawkEye 360, with the integration of those satellites to Electron taking place in the coming days at Rocket Lab’s ICF. Meanwhile, NASA is continuing to make progress in certifying its Autonomous Flight Termination System (AFTS) software required for the launch. This will be the first time an AFTS will be flown from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, representing a valuable new capability for the nation. While this mission will be Electron’s first launch from the U.S., Rocket Lab has already conducted 32 Electron missions from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, delivering 152 satellites to orbit for customers including NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office, DARPA, the U.S. Space Force and a range of commercial constellation operators. As of right now, Electron is already the most frequently launched small orbital rocket globally, and now with the capacity of the pads at Launch Complex 1 and 2 combined, Rocket Lab has more than 130 Electron launch opportunities every year. Not to mention the added benefit of unique customers now that the company can launch from the United States.
This mission will be the first of three Electron launches for HawkEye 360 in a contract that will see Rocket Lab deliver 15 satellites to low Earth orbit between late 2022 and 2024. These missions will grow HawkEye 360’s constellation of radio frequency monitoring satellites, enabling the company to better deliver precise geolocation of radio frequency emissions anywhere in the world. “This mission is a significant moment for Rocket Lab and a pivotal milestone for Virginia’s long legacy in spaceflight,” said Rocket Lab CEO and founder, Peter Beck. “With wet dress rehearsal now complete, we’re excited to move into launch operations for this historic mission.”
HawkEye 360 currently delivers a critical source of global knowledge based on radio frequency (RF) geospatial insights. Cluster 6 is a trio of next-generation satellites that will soon join the growing constellation HawkEye 360 has developed to detect and monitor RF signals globally. This latest set of satellites will be the first to enter an inclined orbit, further boosting revisits over the midlatitude regions of the globe. This addition also brings an improved revisit rate, allowing for revisits as frequently as once per hour, anywhere in the world. The additional capacity, plus an expanded collection optimization to improve data in the 15-18 GHz range, exposes new and meaningful applications for their customers, especially in high-demand areas. These satellites deploy in clusters of three and fly in formation using a specially designed propulsion system. In addition, the company uses proprietary algorithms to process the radio frequency (RF) data generated by the satellites. All of which will be facilitated by Rocket Lab very soon and a few years in the future based on the contracts between the companies.
“We are honored to support the launch of this historic mission,” said Ted Mercer, CEO and Executive Director of Virginia Space. “In addition to being Rocket Lab’s first and only U.S. launch location, we will also be building rockets and processing their payload right here in Accomack County – something that has never been done in Virginia. Our partnership with Rocket Lab is a unique opportunity for the Commonwealth of Virginia to create long-term economic development opportunities in the form of high-paying jobs, launch viewing tourism, and construction of new facilities on the Eastern Shore.”
TROPICS Contract
In addition to this first launch from Launch Complex 2 just one week away, NASA announced new information regarding future mission opportunities for Rocket Lab. On the 23rd Rocket Lab tweeted mentioning, “Electron is launching the TROPICS missions! We’re proud to be selected by @NASA to provide a responsive & reliable path to orbit for these sats which will equip scientists with vital weather data, helping to protect lives and livelihoods in the path of tropical storms.” This comes after Astra’s most recent launch failure and a statement released saying the company and NASA agreed to modify the terms of their existing launch services agreement for NASA’s TROPICS mission.
Specifically, NASA has selected Rocket Lab USA Inc. of Long Beach, California, to provide the launch service for the agency’s Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation Structure and Storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) mission, as part of the agency’s Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. Rocket Lab is one of 13 companies NASA selected for VADR contracts in 2022. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the VADR contracts. As part of VADR, the fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts have a five-year ordering period with a maximum total value of $300 million across all contracts.
The TROPICS mission consists of four CubeSats intended for two low-Earth orbital planes and is part of NASA’s Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. Rocket Lab will launch the TROPICS satellites into their operational orbits during a 60-day period (first insertion to final insertion). These two dedicated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licensed launches, each on an Electron Rocket are targeted to launch no earlier than May 1, 2023, enabling NASA to provide observations during the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1. The TROPICS constellation targets the formation and evolution of tropical cyclones, including hurricanes, and will provide rapidly updating observations of storm intensity, as well as the horizontal and vertical structures of temperature and humidity within the storms and in their surrounding environment. This data will help scientists better understand the processes that affect these high-impact storms, ultimately leading to improved modeling and prediction.
Building on NASA’s previous procurement efforts to foster development of new launch vehicles for NASA payloads, VADR provides FAA-licensed commercial launch services for payloads that can tolerate higher risk. By using a lower level of mission assurance, and commercial best practices for launching rockets, these highly flexible contracts help broaden access to space through lower launch costs.
Conclusion
Rocket Lab is set to launch for the first time from Launch Complex 2 in the United States in just one week. Now with access to two launch complexes and three pads, Rocket Lab has 130 launch opportunities throughout the year. This comes in addition to new contract opportunities for the TROPICS missions with NASA. We will have to wait and see how it progresses and the impact it has on the space industry.