A Rocket Lab ‘Electron’ rocket has successfully launched seven satellites from its New Zealand operational site. After launch the rocket’s powerful first stage was detached from the mission and returned to Earth with a suite of parachutes for recovery. The mission was dubbed ‘Baby come back’ and reflected a change in plan. Initially Rocket Lab […]
California-based Rocket Lab made headlines a week ago when it bought some key assets from bankrupt Virgin Orbit. Rocket Lab has been awarded Virgin’s 144,000-square-foot Long Beach, California–based manufacturing facility for $16.1 million. That news, plus a fresh launch contract, has given the business a significant lift in its implied value. Analysts from investment bank […]
Rocket Lab USA, a launch and space systems company, has been selected by Inmarsat Government as partner to develop and manufacture an L-band radio in support of NASA’s Communications Services Project (CSP). CSP seeks to accelerate the development of commercial near-Earth communications services by partnering with satellite communications (satcom) providers. Rocket Lab will help enable […]
2022 is on track to break all records for rocket launches. Indeed, Elon Musk’s SpaceX alone is responsible for a significant number of these launches; SpaceX added 16 launches spread across its own Starlink craft plus NASA missions as well as commercial launches. But China is matching SpaceX and, as at July 8th, had managed […]
Rwanda has, the landlocked republic lying south of the Equator in east-central Africa plans – and has official filings lodged – to launch more than 100,000 small satellites for broadband connectivity. The country’s project, named E-Space, used the Washington Satellite 2022 event to say that it had contracted with Rocket Lab and its Electron rocket […]
Germany has approved the siting of a rocket-launching vessel in the North Sea. The platform could launch small to medium-sized satellites into orbit. The news emerged at a ceremony in Berlin and where the German Offshore Spaceport Alliance (GOSA) welcomed the commitment. The vessel will have a land-based home on the Weser Estuary near Bremerhaven. […]
There’s a new rocket launch company making headlines. Rocket Lab, founded in 2006 and originally based in Auckland, New Zealand (where it still makes its rockets), has SpaceX’s frequency and some of its client list in its sights. Rocket Lab is headed by c0-founder Peter Beck, who currently serves as the company’s CEO and CTO. […]