Rocket Lab
Private
IndustryLaunch service provider
FoundedJune 2006; 13 years ago (2006-06) in Auckland, New Zealand[1]
FounderPeter Beck[1]
Headquarters
Huntington Beach, California
,
U.S.[2]
Key people
ProductsElectron rocket
Rutherford rocket engine
Curie rocket engine
Photon satellite bus
Number of employees
~500[3] (June 2019)
Websiterocketlabusa.com

Rocket Lab[4] is a private American aerospace manufacturer and smallsat launch service provider with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary.[5][6][7][8] It developed a suborbital sounding rocket named Ātea and currently operates a lightweight orbital rocket known as Electron, which provides dedicated launches for smallsats and CubeSats. The company was founded in New Zealand in 2006 by Peter Beck[9] and established headquarters in California in the United States in 2013.[1][10]

The Electron test program began in May 2017,[11][12] with commercial flights announced by the company to occur at a price listed in early 2018 as US$5.7 million.[13] Launching from Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, the rocket's test flights took place on 25 May 2017 and 21 January 2018,[14][15] while its first commercial flight took place on 11 November 2018.[16] On 16 December 2018, Rocket Lab launched their first mission for NASA's ELaNa program. The company plans to make its first launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia in 2019.[17]

History

Rocket Lab was founded in June 2006 by New Zealander Peter Beck, the company's CEO and CTO.[1] Internet entrepreneur and fellow New Zealander Mark Rocket was the seed investor and co-director from 2007 to 2011.[18] Rocket Lab claimed it became the first private company in the Southern Hemisphere to reach space after launching its Ātea-1 sounding rocket in November 2009.[8] The payload was not recovered, but this was not deemed necessary. As an instrumentation dart, the payload was ballistic; its trajectory depended only on the boost phase of flight.[citation needed]

In December 2010, Rocket Lab was awarded a U.S. government contract from the Operationally Responsive Space Office (ORS) to study a low cost space launcher to place CubeSats into orbit.[19][20][21][22] This agreement with NASA enables the company to use NASA resources such as personnel, facilities, and equipment for commercial launch efforts.[23][24]

Funding was obtained from Khosla Ventures in 2013,[25] and Callaghan Innovation and Bessemer Venture Partners in 2014.[26][27] Lockheed Martin became a strategic investor in 2015,[28] and Rocket Lab announced in March 2017 that it had raised an additional US$75 million in a Series D equity round led by Data Collective with participation by Promus Ventures and several previous investors.[29] In November 2018, the company reported raising a US$140-million series E round led by Future Fund.[30]

Launch vehicles

Ātea

The first launch of the Ātea (Māori for 'space') suborbital sounding rocket occurred in late 2009.[31] The 6-metre (20 ft) long rocket weighing 60 kilograms (130 lb) was designed to carry a 2 kg (4.4 lb) payload to an altitude of 120 kilometres (75 mi).[32] It was intended to carry scientific payloads or possibly personal items.[33][34][35]

Ātea-1, named Manu Karere or Bird Messenger by the local Māori iwi,[36] was successfully launched from Great Mercury Island near the Coromandel Peninsula on 30 November 2009 at 2:23 pm (01:23 UTC) after fueling problems delayed the scheduled 7:10 am liftoff.[37][38] The rocket was tracked by GPS uplink to the Inmarsat-B satellite constellation; it splashed down approximately 50 km (31 mi) downrange.[38][39]

The payload had no telemetry downlink, but had instrumentation including the launch vehicle's uplink to Inmarsat. Payload was not required to be recovered, being only a dart, and the company advised that should it be encountered by vessels at sea, the payload should not be handled as it was "potentially hazardous" and contained delicate instruments. However, performance characteristics were completely determined by the boost stage, which did have downlink telemetry and was recovered. A second launch of Ātea-1 was not attempted.[citation needed]

Electron

Main articles: Electron (rocket) and List of Electron rocket launches

Electron is a two-stage launch vehicle which uses Rocket Lab's Rutherford liquid engines on both stages. The vehicle is capable of delivering payloads of 150 kg to a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit,[40] the target range for the growing small satellite market. The projected cost is less than US$5 million per launch.[41]

The Rutherford engine uses pumps that are uniquely powered by battery-powered electric motors rather than a gas generator, expander, or preburner.[42] The engine is also fabricated largely by 3D printing, via electron beam melting,[43] whereby layers of metal powder are melted in a high vacuum by an electron beam rather than a laser.

By March 2016, the 22 kN (5,000 lbf) second-stage Rutherford engine had completed firing tests.[44] The first test flight took place on 25 May 2017 at 04:20 UTC from Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island.[14] After reaching an altitude of about 224 km (140 mi), the rocket was performing nominally but telemetry was lost so the decision to destroy it was made by range safety.[45][46][47]

On 21 January 2018 at 01:43 UTC, their second rocket on a flight named "Still Testing" launched, reached orbit and deployed three CubeSats for customers Planet Labs and Spire Global.[48] The rocket also carried an additional satellite payload called Humanity Star, a 1-meter-wide (3 ft) carbon fiber geodesic sphere made up of 65 panels that reflect the Sun's light.[49] Humanity Star re-entered Earth's atmosphere and burned up in March 2018.[50] On 11 November 2018, the first commercial launch of Electron occurred from Mahia Peninsula carrying satellites for Spire Global, GeoOptics, a CubeSat built by high school students, and a prototype of a dragsail.[16]

Photon satellite bus

Based on Rocket Lab's Electron kick stage, Photon is a satellite bus to assist customers in getting to orbit quickly, as it allows them to focus on their services and not on building hardware.[51] It uses the Curie engine and communicates on S band. Depending on the orbital inclination (37° to sun-synchronous orbit) it is expected to have a maximum payload capacity of 170 kg (370 lb).[52]

Facilities

Manufacturing

In October 2018, Rocket Lab revealed their new manufacturing facility in Auckland, New Zealand.[53] It is intended for the production of propellant tanks and stage builds, and is in charge of the overall integration of launch vehicles for Launch Complex 1.[54]

The company's headquarters in Huntington Beach, California, produce the Rutherford engines and avionics.[2][54]

Launch Complex 1

Launch Complex 1 under construction in 2016
Main article: Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1

After encountering difficulty in obtaining resource consent for the Kaitorete Spit launch site,[55] Rocket Lab announced in November 2015 that its primary launch site would be on the Mahia Peninsula, east of Wairoa in the North Island, New Zealand.[56] The site is licensed to launch rockets every 72 hours for 30 years.[57] The Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (LC-1) was officially opened on 26 September 2016 (UTC; 27 September NZDT).[58]

Launch Complex 2

In October 2018, after several months of search, the company announced their selection of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility as their second launch site. The site was chosen for a number of factors: the speed and ease in which the new pad could be built due to infrastructure readiness, the low number of launches from other companies, and the location's ability to supplement orbital inclinations provided by LC-1. It is expected to be capable of monthly launches serving US government and commercial missions.[54]

LC-2 is located within the fence line of MARS Launch Pad 0A.[59]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Rocket Lab Celebrates Rich Ten-Year History". Rocket Lab. 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b Masunaga, Samantha (21 March 2017). "Rocket Lab moves headquarters from Los Angeles to Huntington Beach". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  3. ^ Pullar-Strecker, Tom (9 June 2019). "Rocket Lab keeps tabs on 117 rivals, but that's not what's keeping it busy". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  4. ^ Note: As of 2018, the company is structured as follows. The "ultimate holding company" is Rocket Lab USA Inc. registered in the United States. The subsidiary is Rocked Lab Limited, a NZ Limited Company.
  5. ^ "FAQ". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 30 March 2019. Where is Rocket Lab based? [-] Rocket Lab is an American company with headquarters in Los Angeles and a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary.
  6. ^ Wattles, Jackie (11 November 2018). "Startup Rocket Lab puts 6 small satellites into orbit". CNN. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  7. ^ Berger, Eric (17 October 2018). "Rocket Lab Gets Second Launch Site Gears Up for Rapid Flight Cadence". Ars Technica. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  8. ^ a b Botsford End, Rae (2 May 2015). "Rocket Lab: the Electron, the Rutherford, and why Peter Beck started it in the first place". Spaceflight Insider. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  9. ^ Walsh, Frances (1 April 2008). "Rocket Lab's Peter Beck and Mark Rocket on their space plans". Metro. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  10. ^ "NZ's first space launch". Science Learning Hub. The University of Waikato. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  11. ^ "Rocket Lab successfully makes it to space". Rocket Lab. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  12. ^ "Rocket Lab Completes Major Technical Milestone Ahead of Test Launches". Rocket Lab. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  13. ^ Gugliotta, Guy (April 2018). "Small Rockets Aim for a Big Market". Air & Space Magazine. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  14. ^ a b Clark, Stephen (25 May 2017). "Maiden flight of Rocket Lab's small satellite launcher reaches space". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  15. ^ Clark, Stephen (21 January 2018). "Rocket Lab delivers nanosatellites to orbit on first successful test launch". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  16. ^ a b Chang, Kenneth (11 November 2018). "Rocket Lab's Modest Launch Is Giant Leap for Small Rocket Business". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  17. ^ Malik, Tariq (17 October 2018). "Rocket Lab Picks Virginia Spaceport As US Launch Site for Small Satellites". Space.com. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  18. ^ "Home". Mark Rocket.
  19. ^ "News". Rocket Lab. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. December 2010 - Rocket Lab was awarded a US contract from the Operationally Responsive Space Office (ORS) to study low cost international alternatives. Included in this study is a 640,000Ns booster, a miniature avionics system and a launch vehicle to place small mass satellites into polar and low Earth orbits.
  20. ^ "Rocket Research & Development Based in New Zealand". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  21. ^ "Rocketry Links". New Zealand Rocketry Association. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  22. ^ "NZ set to join the space age". Stuff.co.nz. NZPA. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  23. ^ Henry, Caleb (31 July 2015). "Rocket Lab Signs NASA Partnership to Tap Launch Resources". Via Satellite. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  24. ^ Mann, Adam (6 December 2017). "Rocket Lab poised to provide dedicated launcher for CubeSat science". Science. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Rocket Lab". Khosla Ventures. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  26. ^ Messier, Doug (30 July 2014). "A Look at Rocket Lab Funding Sources". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  27. ^ "Rocket Lab". Bessemer Venture Partners. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  28. ^ Keall, Chris (3 March 2015). "Lockheed Martin invests in Auckland's Rocket Labs". National Business Review. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  29. ^ Foust, Jeff (21 March 2017). "Rocket Lab raises $75 million to scale up launch vehicle production". SpaceNews. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  30. ^ Boyle, Alan (15 November 2018). "Rocket Lab reports $140M in fresh funding, cementing space unicorn status". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  31. ^ Cooper, Tracy (30 November 2009). "NZ's first space rocket launches". Waikato Times. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2015. Cite uses deprecated parameter |dead-url= (help)
  32. ^ "Ātea-1 technical specifications". Rocket Lab. Archived from the original on 23 February 2010. Cite uses deprecated parameter |deadurl= (help)
  33. ^ "Rocket project gears for take off". The New Zealand Herald. 15 August 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  34. ^ Goldsmith, Rob (16 November 2009). "Rocket lab primed to launch New Zealand's first rocket into space". Space Fellowship. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  35. ^ Vance, Ashlee (29 June 2017). "At 18, He Strapped a Rocket Engine to His Bike. Now He's Taking on SpaceX". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  36. ^ "Rocket Lab's Atea-1 New Zealand's First Rocket Takes A Dive". Satnews. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  37. ^ "NZ's first space launch saved by $6 replacement part". The New Zealand Herald. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  38. ^ a b Keall, Chris (3 December 2009). "Coromandel, we have a problem: hunt on for missing rocket". National Business Review. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016.
  39. ^ "New Zealand company heads to space with first launch". IT Wire. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  40. ^ Henry, Caleb (23 March 2016). "Rocket Lab Completes Flight Qualification for Electron's Rutherford Engine". Via Satellite. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  41. ^ Ryan, Sophie (29 July 2014). "NZ to get its own space programme by 2015". The New Zealand Herald. APNZ.
  42. ^ Bradley, Grant (15 April 2015). "Rocket Lab unveils world's first battery rocket engine". The New Zealand Herald.
  43. ^ Grush, Loren (15 April 2015). "A 3D-Printed, Battery-Powered Rocket Engine". Popular Science.
  44. ^ Botsford End, Rae (24 March 2016). "Rocket Lab's Rutherford Engine Qualified for Flight". Spaceflight Insider. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  45. ^ "Rocket Lab Completes Post-Flight Analysis". Rocket Lab. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  46. ^ Foust, Jeff (7 August 2017). "Telemetry glitch kept first Electron rocket from reaching orbit". SpaceNews. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  47. ^ Masunaga, Samantha (25 May 2017). "Rocket Lab's Electron rocket reaches space, but not orbit, in first test flight". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  48. ^ Ryan, Holly (21 January 2018). "Blast off! Rocket Lab successfully reaches orbit". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  49. ^ Grush, Loren (24 January 2018). "Rocket Lab secretly launched a disco ball satellite on its latest test flight". The Verge. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  50. ^ Kramer, Miriam (22 March 2018). "The Humanity Star satellite has fallen back to Earth after its short mission in space". Mashable. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  51. ^ Foust, Jeff (8 April 2019). "Rocket Lab unveils Photon smallsat bus". SpaceNews. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  52. ^ "Photon". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  53. ^ Dodd, Tim (11 October 2018). "Exclusive Inside Look at Rocket Lab's Previously-secret new Mega Factory!". Everyday Astronaut. Retrieved 10 November 2018. Although Rocket Lab's engines and avionics are built in Huntington Beach, California, the final assembly of the vehicle is done here in Auckland–A fitting choice, as they're currently only launching from their Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, some 500 km away.
  54. ^ a b c Gebhardt, Chris (17 October 2018). "Rocket Lab selects Wallops as first U.S. launch site, readies Electron for November launch". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  55. ^ Thomas, Lauren (1 July 2015). "Space Base in New Zealand Picked to Start Private Trips to Orbit". Bloomberg. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  56. ^ Gregory, Debbie & Ashton, Andrew (24 November 2015). "Rocket Lab chooses Mahia for space launches". Gisborne Herald.
  57. ^ McNicol, Hamish (18 September 2016). "New Zealand space industry prepared for takeoff". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  58. ^ Cofield, Calla (26 September 2016). "Rocket Lab Opens Private Orbital Launch Site in New Zealand". Space.com. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  59. ^ Foust, Jeff (17 October 2018). "Rocket Lab selects Wallops for U.S. launch site". SpaceNews. Retrieved 29 June 2019.

External links

  • Official website