Rocket Lab Electron Launch: “4 of a Kind” Commercial Satellites in New Zealand

Rocket Lab Electron Launch: “4 of a Kind” Commercial Satellites in New Zealand

F43 Electron splashdown and recovery

F43 assembly in the hangar

Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle launched the “Four Of A Kind” Mission, four NorthStar Earth & Space (NorthStar) Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites, from Pad B at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, on January 31, 2023, at 06:34 UTC (19:34 NZDT). 

The four L.E.M.U.R. (Low Earth Multi-Use Receiver) satellites were built and will be operated by Spire Global, Inc’s (Spire). Electron’s first stage made a parachute-assisted splashdown.

The four Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites were placed in a 530km circular Earth orbit. They will monitor near-Earth objects from space to provide timely and precise information for space object detection, tracking, orbit determination, collision avoidance, navigation, and proximity alerts. 

The mission was Rocket Lab’s 43rd Electron launch overall, bringing the Company’s record of successfully deployed satellites to 176. The mission was the first of a busy launch year for Rocket Lab, with the Company scheduled to launch more in 2024 than any previous year since the Company began missions in 2017."

Rocket Lab:

https://www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/rocket-lab-successfully-launches-first-electron-mission-of-busy-2024-launch-schedule/

Spire Global:

https://spire.com

NorthStar Earth & Space

https://northstar-data.com

Image Credit: Rocket Lab

Release Date: Jan. 31, 2024

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