Rocket Lab USA Inc. launched the first of its two NASA satellites late last month.
“Ready, Aim, PREFIRE” lifted-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, on the evening of May 25.
It was the first of two back-to-back launches for NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) climate change-focused mission.
Peter Beck, the founder and chief executive of the Long Beach space launch and components manufacturer, said that missions like PREFIRE demonstrate the benefit of the Electron rocket – dedicated launch for small satellites to precise orbits on precise schedules.
“We’ve demonstrated this back-to-back launch capability for NASA once before with the TROPICS mission and we’re excited to deliver it once again for PREFIRE,” Beck said in a statement.
“Climate change-focused missions like this are essential to understanding and safeguarding the future of our planet. It’s a privilege to support them on Electron,” Beck added.
The TROPICS, or Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats, mission was launched in May 2023 by Rocket Lab.
The “Ready, Aim, PREFIRE” mission was Rocket Lab’s 48th Electron launch overall and sixth launch of 2024
NASA’s PREFIRE mission consists of two shoebox-size cube satellites that will measure the amount of heat Earth radiates into space from two of the coldest, most remote regions on the planet. Data from the mission will help researchers better predict how Earth’s ice, seas and weather will change in a warming world. The mission is expected to operate for 10 months.
Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, said that the mission will aid in providing scientists a detailed picture of how Earth’s polar regions influence how much energy the planet absorbs and releases.
“This will improve prediction of sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise, creating a better understanding of how our planet’s system will change in the coming years — crucial information to farmers tracking changes in weather and water, fishing fleets working in changing seas, and coastal communities building resilience,” St. Germain said in a statement.
NASA’s Launch Services Program in partnership with its Earth System Science Pathfinder Program is providing the launch service as part of the agency’s Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare launch services contract.
