The Unique History of Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2
Rocket Lab is firing on all cylinders as they approach a second Electron booster catch attempt, continued work on Neutron, and the first launch from U.S. soil, just to name a few. In the past couple of years, this company has managed to significantly increase launch cadence with just a single Launch Complex. They have done this with the help of additional pads and gained experience over time.
Recently they announced that in just over a month this December we could expect the first-ever launch from LC-2. However, this brings up the question of why have we not seen launches from this site in the past considering it has been almost 3 years since it was completed. In reality, the delay primarily comes down to the Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (NAFTU) software.
While the site has taken a bit longer than Rocket Lab expected, this is finally set to change during the first mission with HawkEye360. Not to mention the exciting improvements to launch cadence and opportunities thanks to this site being operational. Here I will go more in-depth into the history of this launch complex, its importance for Rocket Lab, what to expect in the future, and more.
NAFTU Delay
Following a site selection process in late 2018 involving multiple U.S. spaceports, Rocket Lab selected the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport as the location of Launch Complex 2 due to the wide orbital inclinations the site can support, as well as the rapid planned construction timeframe. Construction on Launch Complex 2 commenced in February 2019, with the site operational just 10 months later in December 2020. More than 150 local construction workers and contractors were involved in the development of Launch Complex 2, with many Virginia-based companies supplying services, hardware and materials for the site. Locally built infrastructure at Launch Complex 2 includes the 66-ton launch platform and 7.6-ton strongback for the Electron launch vehicle, supplied by Virginia-based company Steel America.
Not long after completion, Rocket Lab confirmed the inaugural mission from the site would be a dedicated flight for the U.S. Air Force scheduled in mid 2020. As we know now, this launch never happened from the site. The main reason had to do with the NASA Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (NAFTU) software. NAFTU is a command and control system available to launch vehicle providers for use at all U.S. launch ranges in ensuring public safety during launch operations. NASA Wallops, in collaboration with NASA Headquarters, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, and the Federal Aviation Administration, began development of the NASA Autonomous Flight Termination System in 2020, when the program became fully funded. The NAFTU system is more complicated than other, proprietary automated flight safety systems (AFSS) in that it’s designed to be customizable and support a wide array of launch vehicles at any launch range.
Focusing back on Rocket Lab and this software’s impact, the company ended up getting stuck in a much longer than expected certification process that halted the launch site’s operations. Back in 2020, in regard to these delays, Peter Beck in an interview said, “There’s a very long certification process that, quite frankly, we probably underestimated how long it would take. It’s difficult to predict when the certification will be complete,” he said. “We’re 100% ready to fly other than the paperwork.” Not long after multiple errors were found that needed to be fixed. At the time, engineers said “We expect that, under the current rate in which we’re developing and correcting the code errors, we should be ready to certify that unit in the first half of ’21.” Unfortunately, this got delayed even further and only somewhat recently was the software and system fully certified and ready for flight.
Autonomous Flight Termination Systems like NAFTU are a key component of the launch range of the future and a mandatory requirement for Department of Defense (DOD) launches beginning in 2025. The system provides a number of benefits, such as wider launch windows, smaller downrange safety corridors that enhance area clearance operations, and reduced need/expense of ground-based systems. NASA said that AFSS will be a game changer for enabling launches from Wallops and decreasing cost for access to space in the future, and NAFTU will be the system that leads this effort for many years to come. “Automated flight safety systems are a game changer for enabling launches from Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA Wallops and decreasing cost for access to space in the future,” said Mercer. “NAFTU will be the system that leads this effort for many years to come.”
Upcoming Mission
Now that we know what stopped Rocket Lab from launching rockets in the U.S. for the past few years, we can take a closer look at the upcoming launch and benefits provided by this site. Recently Rocket Lab provided another update regarding this upcoming mission in a tweet saying, “Eastern Shore, meet Electron. After more than 30 missions from LC-1, it’s almost LC-2’s turn. Launching in December for our mission partner.” This included an image of the Electron rocket delivered and inside the bay at the launch complex. The mission will deploy satellites for radio frequency geospatial analytics provider HawkEye 360 and will be Rocket Lab’s first lift-off from Launch Complex 2 at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility – a launch pad developed to support Electron missions from U.S. soil for government and commercial customers. Encouraged by NASA’s recent progress in certifying its Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (NAFTU) software, which is required to enable Electron launches from Virginia, Rocket Lab has scheduled the mission from Launch Complex 2 in December 2022.
Currently, with Electron now delivered at Launch Complex 2, Rocket Lab has begun final launch preparations including a standard launch dress rehearsal and payload integration at Rocket Lab’s dedicated Integration and Control Facility near the launch site. Launch Complex 2 supplements Rocket Lab’s existing site, Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, from which 31 Electron missions have already been launched. The two launch complexes combined can support more than 130 launch opportunities every year, delivering unmatched flexibility for rapid, responsive launch for government and commercial satellite operators. The launch pad and production complex for Rocket Lab’s large reusable Neutron launch vehicle will also be located at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, streamlining operations across small and large launch.
“We are looking forward to seeing Electron take to Virginia skies for the first time very soon,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck. “Rocket Lab has been providing reliable and responsive access to orbit for more than four and a half years with Electron and we’re excited to build on that strong heritage by unlocking a new path to orbit from right here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are delighted to be working with the dedicated teams at NASA, Virginia Space, Accomack County, and HawkEye 360 to launch this historic mission and begin a new era of space access.” The 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 mapping of radio frequency emissions anywhere in the world. Supporting Rocket Lab’s vertical integration strategy, Rocket Lab will also supply HawkEye 360 with separation systems produced by Planetary Systems Corporation, a Maryland-based space hardware company acquired by Rocket Lab in December 2021.
Focusing on the site itself, in addition to the launch pad, Launch Complex 2 is also home to an Integration and Control Facility located within the Wallops Research Park for processing payloads and Electron launch vehicles prior to lift-off. The ICF can house multiple Electron launch vehicles for pre-launch integration and is home to Launch Complex 2 Range Control operations, payload integrations cleanrooms, and administrative offices. Peter Beck also highlighted that “Responsive launch is the key to resilience in space and this is what Launch Complex 2 enables. All satellites are vulnerable, be it from accidental or deliberate actions. By operating a proven launch vehicle from two launch sites on opposite sides of the world, Rocket Lab delivers unmatched flexibility and responsiveness for the defense and national security community to quickly replace any disabled satellite. We’re immensely proud to be delivering reliable and flexible launch capability to the U.S. Space Force and the wider defense community as space becomes an increasingly contested domain.” With so much focus on launch cadence, the first official mission from this site is very exciting for Rocket Lab. The impact it will no doubt have on the future of the company will be exciting to watch throughout 2023 and beyond.
Conclusion
Rocket Lab is just over one month away from the first launch from U.S. soil at Launch Complex 2. After a few years of delays primarily due to NASA’s flight termination unit software, the site is now ready for its first mission. We will have to wait and see how it progresses and the impact it has on the space industry.