Rocket Lab’s low-cost Electron rocket lofted a bevy of small satellites into orbit tonight for the National Reconnaissance Office, NASA and a project backed by the Australian government and the University of New South Wales Canberra Space.
- Liftoff from Rocket Lab’s oceanside launch complex on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula came at 5:12 p.m. local time June 13 (10:12 p.m. PT June 12). The start of the 12th Electron mission had been postponed for a day due to upper-level winds. Tonight, concerns about a passing cloud caused only a slight delay for a trouble-free launch.
- Three payloads were sent up for the NRO, as part of a program to explore new launch opportunities that take advantage of a streamlined, commercial approach. The payloads’ purpose was undisclosed. The Australian payload is the M2 Pathfinder satellite, which will test communications architecture and other technologies that could contribute to Australia’s future space capabilities.
- The NASA payload is a satellite called ANDESITE, which stands for “Ad-Hoc Network Demonstration for Extended Satellite-Based Inquiry and Other Team Endeavors.” Created by students and professors at Boston University, ANDESITE will measure Earth’s magnetic field and eventually release eight tiny satellites with small magnetometer sensors to track space weather.
