Launch day is here for NASA’s TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) mission! Atop a Rocket Lab Electron rocket, a pair of small satellites await liftoff from Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand, to join a pair of recently deployed TROPICS satellites that launched just over …
NASA and Rocket Lab are now targeting no earlier than 12 a.m. EDT Thursday, May 25, (4 p.m. NZST) for the final launch of the agency’s TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) mission due to unfavorable weather conditions. Rocket Lab will continue to assess the weather, and …
NASA and Rocket Lab are now targeting no earlier than 1:00 a.m. EDT Tuesday, May 23, (5:00 p.m. NZST) for the launch of a pair of storm tracking CubeSats due to unfavorable weather conditions. TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) remains healthy and ready for launch on …
NASA and Rocket Lab are targeting no earlier than 1:30 a.m. EDT (5:30 p.m. NZST) Monday, May 22, for the launch of the agency’s TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) mission, on an Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand. The launch will place …
Team members successfully sent commands to the first CubeSat at 1:48 a.m. EDT, May 8. Subsequently, they established communications with the second CubeSat at 6:31 a.m. EDT. Read the NASA release here. For imagery of this mission, please check here. Follow launch updates on this blog and stay connected with the mission on social media. …
Two TROPICS CubeSats successfully deployed from a Rocket Lab Electron rocket after launch. The team is working toward signal acquisition from the pair of TROPICS CubeSats. NASA will continue to assess data from periodic pass opportunities. It is not unexpected for CubeSats to take some time to establish communications. We will provide confirmation when signal …
Rocket Lab confirms Electron has successfully deployed the two TROPICS satellites to orbit.
NASA’s TROPICS CubeSats are expected to have deployed from the Rocket Lab’s Electron kick stage. The two CubeSats will reach low-Earth orbit to begin their mission. Each of the CubeSats was designed to last approximately two years, but analysis, lifetime testing of key parts, and on-orbit experiences with similar hardware could help the satellites surpass …
The second stage of Rocket Lab’s Electron has cut off and separated from the payload kick stage. Soon, the kick stage engine will ignite and burn for about three minutes before it cuts off.
The Electron rocket has successfully completed the battery hot swap, switching power between batteries. The next milestone is second stage separation in about three minutes.
