Private spaceflight firm Rocket Lab has announced the launch date for its inaugural Electron rocket mission , which will be launched from US soil. The “Virginia is for launch lovers” mission is scheduled to launch on January 23 2023, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia between 6 PM and 8 PM ET.
If it is successful, the mission will launch 3 radio frequency-monitoring satellites to low orbit for the Virginia-based company HawkEye 360, the first of 15 satellites to be launched in 2024 by Rocket Lab by 2024. The first mission was originally set to launch in the month of December 2022, but it was delayed back due to weather conditions.
“Electron has set records by becoming the highest-launched small orbital rocket worldwide,” said Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck via a press announcement. “With the backing of our colleagues with NASA as well as Virginia Space, we look at building upon the rich history of mission success by launching our first in a series of missions launched by Wallops.”
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Rocket Lab, a California-based company Rocket Lab has already launched small satellites out of Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand in the year 2017. The delivery system — which is its orbital Electron rocket has been involved in over 30 orbital flights up to this point. The company, for instance, attempted to catch the one of their Electron rockets while in midair last year with a helicopter in an attempt to reduce cost of manufacturing by recycling equipment. Although it was technically successful by catching the rocket the helicopter eventually released it to the sea.
Live streaming from the launch is made available beginning 40 minutes before launch through the Rocket Lab website.
