Rocket Lab to launch satellites for US agency Spysat and NASA tonight to the beat of Queen

Rocket Lab to launch satellites for US agency Spysat and NASA tonight to the beat of Queen

Rocket Lab is an American aerospace company with a subsidiary in New Zealand, whose mission is to develop cost-effective, lightweight commercial orbital launch services. Electron is a two-stage orbital disposable launch vehicle, developed by aerospace.

Postponed since March by the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the so-called Don’t Stop Me Now rocket is now ready for launch.

Electron

‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ is a carpool mission that takes multiple satellites into orbit for three different clients .

The Electron , 17 meters high, 1.2 in diameter, and with a launch weight of 12,250 kg, is a three-stage rocket made entirely of carbon fiber. Its engine, printed in 3D.

Among others, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ will launch ANDESITE , a small satellite built by Boston University students to study the Earth’s magnetic field.

The M2 Pathfinder satellite will also travel in orbit on ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. The mission is a collaboration between the University of New South Weals, Canberra Space and the Australian government. The satellite will demonstrate the ability of a software-based onboard radio to operate and reconfigure itself while in orbit.

The company’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Know’ mission is named after Rocket Lab board member Scott Smith, a Queen fan who died in February. The Queen song of the same name was Smith’s favorite .

The launch was broadcast from here . In theory it should have been launched tonight, but eventually the launch was canceled due to the wind.