News: Rocket Lab
Headlines from space publications, linked back to the original articles
Industry / News / Rocket Lab
- NASA, Rocket Lab move first Artemis Moon launch – CAPSTONE – to New Zealand NASASpaceflight · 7 Aug 2021 New Zealand is now set to host the first launch of the Artemis Program, as Rocket Lab is now planning to launch the CAPSTONE mission from their operational launch pad at Launch Complex 1 on the Māhia Peninsula. This is t...
- Rocket Lab shifts CAPSTONE launch to New Zealand SpaceNews · 6 Aug 2021 A NASA smallsat mission to test the orbit that will be used by the lunar Gateway will launch from New Zealand and not Virginia as originally planned.
- Rocket Report: Ariane V returns after long layoff, Rocket Lab’s tough culture Ars Technica · 30 Jul 2021 "Pete told us that key contributors would be driving Ferraris to work in a year."
- Rocket Lab returns to service with “flawless” launch for U.S. military Spaceflight Now · 29 Jul 2021 Resuming launches after a mission failure two months ago, Rocket Lab successfully placed a small U.S. military research and development satellite into orbit Thursday following a fiery liftoff from New Zealand on a flight...
- Rocket Lab returns Electron to flight with Space Force launch SpaceNews · 29 Jul 2021 Rocket Lab returned its Electron rocket to flight July 29 with the successful launch of an experimental satellite for the U.S. Space Force.
- Rocket Lab returns Electron to flight with dedicated US Space Force mission NASASpaceflight · 28 Jul 2021 Rocket Lab conducted the 21st flight of its Electron small satellite launch vehicle, a return to flight mission following a failure over two months ago. The launch carried a satellite for the United States Space Force on...
- Rocket Lab not yet close to profitability, proxy statement reveals Ars Technica · 28 Jul 2021 "We expect to continue to incur net losses for the next several years."
- Rocket Lab set to resume launches Thursday after failure in May Spaceflight Now · 28 Jul 2021 Rocket Lab is set to launch a small U.S. military technology demonstration satellite from New Zealand Thursday on the company’s first mission since a second stage failure doomed a commercial mission in May.
- Rocket Lab identifies cause of Electron failure SpaceNews · 19 Jul 2021 Rocket Lab said July 19 that it has identified the cause of an Electron launch failure more than two months ago and that the vehicle is ready to return to flight.
- Mars smallsat mission gets second chance with Rocket Lab SpaceNews · 20 Jun 2021 A NASA-funded smallsat mission to Mars that lost its ride last year may get new life through a partnership with Rocket Lab.
- Rocket Lab continues to study “complex” Electron failure SpaceNews · 2 Jun 2021 Rocket Lab said June 2 that it is continuing to study the “complex failure” on its most recent Electron launch, even after receiving approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to resume launches.
- Rocket Lab says engine issue caused Electron failure SpaceNews · 18 May 2021 Rocket Lab said an Electron rocket failed to reach orbit May 15 when the vehicle’s computer system detected a problem with the second stage engine and shut it down.
- Rocket Lab reviewing data after its second Electron failure in a year Ars Technica · 17 May 2021 "We deeply regret the loss of BlackSky's payload."
- Two BlackSky satellites lost on Rocket Lab launch failure Spaceflight Now · 15 May 2021 A Rocket Lab Electron launcher malfunctioned about two-and-a-half minutes after liftoff from New Zealand Saturday, destroying two BlackSky optical Earth-imaging satellites in the launch company’s second failed flight in...
- Electron launch fails SpaceNews · 15 May 2021 A Rocket Lab Electron rocket failed to reach orbit May 15 when its second stage engine shut down seconds after ignition, the second launch failure in less than a year for the company.
- Rocket Lab suffers failure on Electron’s 20th mission NASASpaceflight · 15 May 2021 Rocket Lab conducted its twentieth launch of an Electron rocket, named “Running Out of Toes,” carrying two Earth-observation satellites for BlackSky’s global monitoring constellation. The mission also included an attempt...
- Rocket Lab to make second booster recovery attempt SpaceNews · 14 May 2021 The next launch of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket will be the second mission where the company attempts to recover the vehicle’s first stage as part of its efforts to reuse the booster.
- Rocket Lab ready for second booster recovery attempt Spaceflight Now · 14 May 2021 The scheduled launch Saturday of two commercial BlackSky Earth-imaging satellites from New Zealand will double as an opportunity for Rocket Lab to test an enhanced heat shield on its Electron booster, an upgrade that sho...
- BlackSky strikes deal with Rocket Lab to launch eight more satellites in 2021 SpaceNews · 25 Mar 2021 BlackSky announced March 25 it signed an agreement with Rocket Lab to launch eight satellites before the end of 2021.
- Testbed for NASA moon mission rides to orbit with six other satellites Spaceflight Now · 23 Mar 2021 Rocket Lab launched seven satellites Monday from New Zealand on a rideshare mission serving the U.S. and Australian militaries and space services startups. A spacecraft developed in-house by Rocket Lab was also aboard to...
- Rocket Lab launches Photon pathfinder on They Go Up So Fast NASASpaceflight · 22 Mar 2021 The 19th flight of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, named They Go Up So Fast, lifted off on Monday, March 22 at 22:30 UTC. On board the mission were six customer satellites and an internal Photon pathfinder satellite named...
- Rocket Lab launches smallsat rideshare mission SpaceNews · 22 Mar 2021 Rocket Lab launched six smallsats for a variety of commercial and government customers March 22 on a mission also intended to demonstrate the performance of its own smallsat bus.
- Rocket Lab will directly challenge SpaceX with its proposed Neutron launcher Ars Technica · 10 Mar 2021 "We're in this for the long haul."
- Rocket Lab reveals reusable, medium-lift Neutron rocket NASASpaceflight · 7 Mar 2021 To date, Rocket Lab has successfully introduced the first dedicated small satellite launch vehicle, Electron, which CEO Peter Beck said would never be reusable. Then, the company successfully recovered a first stage. Now...
- Rocket Lab says SPAC deal will accelerate development of Neutron rocket SpaceNews · 2 Mar 2021 A growing realization of the need for a medium-class launch vehicle led Rocket Lab to speed up its plans to go public by merging with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
- Rocket Lab announces SPAC merger and new 8-ton reusable launch vehicle Space Scout · 1 Mar 2021 MAR. 1, 2021--Rocket Lab announces a SPAC merger valued at $4.1 billion, and a new, reusable launch vehicle capable of lifting 8 tons.
- Rocket Lab Reaches Deal to Merge With Vector SPAC The Wall Street Journal · 1 Mar 2021 Space-transportation startup Rocket Lab USA Inc. reached a deal to go public by merging with a special-purpose acquisition company, as a wave of such deals rolls on.
- Rocket Lab to go public through SPAC merger and develop medium-lift rocket SpaceNews · 1 Mar 2021 Rocket Lab, a developer of launch vehicles and smallsats, will merge with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) to support development of larger launch vehicle, part of the latest wave of deals to take space compa...
- Astra, Rocket Lab win launch contracts SpaceNews · 27 Feb 2021 Astra has won a NASA contract to launch a small constellation of Earth science cubesats, while General Atomics selected Rocket Lab for the launch of a small satellite with a NOAA hosted payload.
- U.S. Army satellite to bring imagery directly to troops on the ground SpaceNews · 15 Feb 2021 The experimental spacecraft named Gunsmoke-J is one of seven satellites that will lift off from New Zealand in mid-March in Rocket Lab’s 19th Electron launch.
- Electron launch demonstrated enhanced kick stage SpaceNews · 28 Jan 2021 Rocket Lab stretched the performance of the kick stage of its Electron rocket on its most recent launch, the first in a series of milestones the company has set out for this year.
- Rocket Lab, Virgin Orbit lead a new class of small rockets with big ambitions for 2021 Teslarati · 21 Jan 2021 SpaceX’s reign as the only privately funded American spaceflight company to reach and successfully deploy small satellite payloads into orbit ended on...
- Rocket Lab launches secretive communications satellite for OHB SpaceNews · 20 Jan 2021 ocket Lab successfully launched a communications satellite for German company OHB Group Jan. 20 in the first Electron mission of the year.
- Rocket Lab launches communications satellite for OHB Spaceflight Now · 20 Jan 2021 A mysterious small satellite built by the German company OHB, purported to be a pathfinder for a Chinese-owned communications constellation, took off from New Zealand Wednesday and soared into orbit on top of a Rocket La...
- Another One Leaves The Crust begins busy year for Rocket Lab NASASpaceflight · 20 Jan 2021 Rocket Lab started its busiest year with the dedicated launch of a micro-satellite aboard their Electron rocket for OHB Group on Wednesday.
- Rocket Lab set to launch super-secret satellite for German company Spaceflight Now · 15 Jan 2021 A small communications satellite built by the German company OHB — a payload so secret that no one has officially disclosed its name or end user — is set to ride a Rocket Lab Electron launcher into orbit Saturday from Ne...
- Smallsat launch providers readying for first missions of 2021 Spaceflight Now · 10 Jan 2021 Virgin Orbit and Rocket Lab teams are gearing up for missions as soon as next week, with Virgin’s air-launched rocket set for its second demonstration flight and Rocket Lab’s Electron booster poised to launch a small Ger...
- Last year reusable rockets entered the mainstream, and there’s no going back Ars Technica · 6 Jan 2021 "If Rocket Lab ever builds a new vehicle, it will fundamentally be reusable."
- Virgin Orbit, Rocket Lab schedule first launches of 2021 SpaceNews · 5 Jan 2021 Virgin Orbit has rescheduled its second orbital launch attempt for Jan. 10 as another small launch vehicle company, Rocket Lab, announces plans for its first launch of 2021.
- Rocket Lab closes out year with launch of Synspective’s first radar satellite Spaceflight Now · 15 Dec 2020 Rocket Lab’s seventh and final launch of the year delivered a small radar observation satellite into orbit for Synspective, a Japanese startup planning a fleet of 30 or more Earth-imaging spacecraft providing day-and-nig...