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New Zealand: Rocket Lab Launch...One of the top notched aerospace companies, Rocket Lab, has successfully completed its new mission, ‘Make It Rain’.
The company launched a series of small satellites to low earth orbit on June 29 at 04:30, GMT. The carrier, Electron rocket was blasted off from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia Peninsula, New-Zealand.
According to Rocket Lab, all the seven were securely deployed by about 56 minutes after the launch. The satellites were delivered into an elliptical orbit. The payloads were carried in a circular orbit by the rocket’s kick stage. After completing the delivery process, the kick stage burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere while returning from space.
The new launch was the seventh mission for Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle; which has taken three flights in 2017 already.
Reports suggest that the payloads for the mission include BlackSky, a Spaceflight subsidiary satellite, two craft known as Prometheus, and the cubesat ACRUX-1. The Prometheus will be used by for US Special Operations Command (SOCOM).
Electron, which was initially used in 2013, is built to carry small satellite missions. The company wants to explore the Space using Electron, a 57 feet booster called Electron. The width of the booster is 4 feet. The rocket has the potential of carrying 500 pounds on each roughly $5 million launch.
The payload mass for the new mission was 176 pounds, according to Rocket Lab.
The new development is a big boost for Rocket Lab in terms of mission and reputation.