Electron Rocket launch - LIVE
Today, the small start-up rocket company called Rocket Lab will attempt its first commercial delivery to orbit today. If all works well, they will deliver a Dove satellite, for the company Planet, that aims to map the entire Earth daily, and launched four satellites from this constellation last month (which I covered here). Along with this small satellite, two more Lemur-2 satellites for the company Spire that will be used to monitor shipping lanes and provide weather data.
To do this, they will use its small two-stage rocket, 1.2 meter wide, 17 meter tall Electron rocket. It uses a new propulsion cycle, using oxygen and kerosene as its fuel. The first stage uses nine 3D-printed Rutherford engines and just one for the second stage, which has been optimized for vacuum operation. All this, in combination with the fact that it uses very light carbon-composite fuel tanks and skeleton, brings its maximum payload capacity to LEO (low Earth orbit) to a respectable 225 kilograms, with its only major competitor in the small rocket market being Virgin Orbit.
This will be the rocket's second flight, as its maiden test flight occurred on May 25, 2017, when the rocked did not reach its intended altitude of 500 kilometers, but according to a press statement by Rocket Lab, it was due to a failure of the ground equipment, and not the rocket itself. However, this results in the fact that the testing stage is still in effect, thus, today's launch is named Still Testing. It will lift off from the company's private launch facility on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. There is a 4-hour launch window, open daily for ten days, if the need to scrub arises, as the CEO stated that such an event is likely, due to the fact that the rocked is still in the testing phase and they'll wait for the perfect conditions.
A livestream will be available on their website, which is due in about 1 hour from the time of writing. If I am awake (as it's 2 AM in my time-zone), I will update as necessary.
UPDATE
This launch has been postponed for Monday. I will be making a follow-up post when the launch occurs
What are your thoughts on the small company reaching for space? Share them below, along with any feedback you might have. It is greatly appreciated!
Thank you for reading, and keep on steemin'!
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Sounds really cool but runs on kerosine I was picturing a laser engine.
Don't think it really works that way :p
The closest I can think of to that is a solar sail, which is extremely slow, but technically can almost reach the speed of light.
I hope it is funded by flat earthers so we can all get off that debate @sebi99p
Lol. I let them screech all they want. They're nutjobs. I like the trolls in every chat of every livestream of a rocket launch ever, as they mess with people taking thing way too seriously in there :))
Waiting for Monday then! :)
Make sure to tune it, then ;)