Rocket Lab USA Inc. reached a milestone with the launch of its 40th Electron rocket.
With the “We Love The Nightlife” mission, the Long Beach-based rocket manufacturer also demonstrated the reusability of a Rutherford engine and the capture of the first stage of the launch vehicle after it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
The ‘We Love The Nightlife’ mission lifted off on Aug. 24 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula and put into low-Earth orbit the next-generation Acadia satellite for Capella Space Corp.
The first stage of the rocket came down aided by a parachute into the Pacific Ocean several hundred kilometers from Launch Complex 1.
A Rocket Lab marine recovery vessel retrieved the stage and transported it to the company’s production complex for analysis and testing designed to guide future recovery efforts.
In another milestone for the company, the rocket also used a previously flown 3D-printed Rutherford engine.
The engine had flown on the first stage of the “There and Back Again” mission, which was launched in May of last year and performed on par with new Rutherford engines, completing a successful first-stage burn, according to Rocket Lab.
The mission follows on from Rocket Lab’s two previous launches for Capella, including the “Stronger Together” mission launched in March from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 in Virginia and the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical” mission in August 2020 launched from New Zealand, which deployed the first satellite in Capella’s synthetic aperture radar constellation.
“We Love the Nightlife” was the first of four new dedicated launches on Electron for Capella, announced in February, to deploy Capella’s next-generation Acadia satellites, the company said.
Peter Beck, the founder and chief executive of Rocket Lab, said the company has been a trusted launch partner to Capella since 2020.
“Electron has played a crucial role in helping constellation operators like Capella deploy their spacecraft on time and on target, and we look forward to continuing building out Capella’s constellation with more dedicated launches this year,” Beck said..
He also congratulated the Rocket Lab team on delivering 40 Electron launches, completing another booster recovery and proving Rutherford engines can be flown multiple times.
“One mission is an enormous achievement in this industry, but 40 is a rare achievement and testament to the relentless drive, innovation and dedication of the Rocket Lab team,” Beck said.
Rocket Lab had previously recovered first stages from seven Electron launches, and ‘We Love The Nightlife’ is intended to be one of the final tests before the company attempts to reuse a booster for the first time in the coming months.
Capella’s existing satellite constellation has the ability to penetrate all weather conditions and capture clear imagery around the clock, according to the Rocket Lab release.
The next-generation Acadia satellites include several enhancements, including increased bandwidth and power and faster downlink speeds.
