NorthStar 3

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Space Situational Awareness

Low Earth Orbit Unknown Pad Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Four space situational awareness (SSA) satellites for Canadian company NorthStar Earth and Space.

Updates

Nosu • June 22, 2023, 6:21 a.m.

Adding launch NET 2024


Electron

Family:
Configuration:

Electron is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle (with an optional third stage) developed by the American aerospace company Rocket Lab. Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle designed to launch small satellites and cubesats to sun-synchronous orbit and low earth orbit. The Electron is the first orbital class rocket to use electric-pump-fed engines, powered by the 9 Rutherford engines on the first stage. It is also used as a suborbital testbed (called HASTE) for hypersonics research.

See Details
Specifications
  • Minimum Stage
    2
  • Max Stage
    3
  • Length
    18.0 m
  • Diameter
    1.2 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    1.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    13.0 T
  • Thrust
    162.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Electron
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Electron
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $6000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    300.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    225.0 kg

Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab

(RL)

CEO: Peter Beck Founded: 2006 Successes: 59 Failures: 4 Pending: 33

Agency Type:

Rocket Lab is an American aerospace manufacturer with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. The company develops lightweight, cost-effective commercial rocket launch services. The Electron Program was founded on the premise that small payloads such as CubeSats require dedicated small launch vehicles and flexibility not currently offered by traditional rocket systems. Its rocket, the Electron, is a light-weight rocket and is now operating commercially. The company is also producing a variety of spacecrafts and spacecrafts components.

INFO WIKI

Related News

SpaceNews

NorthStar pivots to Rocket Lab following Virgin Orbit’s collapse

Canada’s NorthStar Earth and Space has signed a multi-launch deal with Rocket Lab after Virgin Orbit’s bankruptcy shattered plans to start deploying its space situational awareness (SSA) satellites this summer.

The Launch Pad

NorthStar Signs Multi Launch Deal With RocketLab Following Virgin Orbit Collapse

Canada's NorthStar Earth and Space has signed a multi-launch deal with Rocket Lab, with the first four satellites set to be launched on an Electron rocket in the coming fall, following the collapse of there original launch partner, Virgin …

Arstechnica

Rocket Report: Electron scoops up Virgin launch, ULA flies first 2023 mission

"In microlaunchers that balance is on a knife’s edge."

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

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