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A Rocket Lab Electron rocket rises from its launch pad on New Zealand’s Mahia peninsula. Photo Courtesy of Rocket Lab
July 13 (UPI) — Rocket Lab, headquartered in California, is preparing to launch seven tiny satellites aimed at collecting data on Earth’s atmosphere for improved weather forecasting, replacing a decommissioned technology spacecraft, and deploying twin navigation satellites.
Known as “Baby Come Back,” this mission will involve the launch of an Electron rocket from New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula, set to take place as early as Friday, within a time window that spans from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. EDT.
However, there is a possibility of the launch being delayed up to two weeks from the initial target date.
Rocket Lab will once again attempt to recover the first stage, which will descend by parachute into the ocean, where it will be retrieved by a specially designed ship. The booster will then be taken to Rocket Lab’s production complex for analysis and, if feasible, refurbishment.
For now, Rocket Lab does not possess the technology to land boosters on a recovery ship or on land, a feat that SpaceX has effectively accomplished. Although Rocket Lab did make two attempts to recover boosters mid-air using helicopters, both attempts were unsuccessful.
In the first attempt, the helicopter successfully caught the booster but dropped it, causing it to fall into the sea. During the second attempt, the helicopter pilot aborted the operation due to a temporary loss of telemetry data.
Consequently, Rocket Lab will continue to recover boosters from the ocean for the time being.
“Extensive analysis of returned stages shows that Electron can withstand an ocean splashdown….” stated the company. “As a result, Rocket Lab is proceeding with marine operations as the primary method of recovering and reusing the Electron rocket.”
As part of NASA’s mission, four CubeSat spacecraft will be launched to demonstrate swarm technology. This technology aims to showcase how satellites can collaborate and utilize in-space network communications and navigation between spacecraft, allowing for independent observations and supporting future scientific missions.
The twin 3U satellites, provided by Virginia-based Spire Global Inc., will observe in real time how Earth’s turbulent atmosphere interacts with radio waves from GPS satellites. This will contribute to enhancing the accuracy of long-term weather forecasts.
Additionally, a technology demonstration satellite from Canadian provider Telesat will replace a decommissioned prototype, enabling the company to maintain service for customers relying on its broadband constellation of low Earth orbit satellites.
Unlike geostationary satellites, which orbit the Earth at an altitude of 22,300 miles, low Earth orbit satellites operate a few hundred miles above the planet and can also function as communication satellites. However, due to their limited data capacity, a larger number of low Earth orbit satellites are required to transmit TV signals.
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