The second stage of Rocket Lab’s Electron has cut off and separated from the payload fairing’s kick stage. In around 20 minutes, the kick stage engine will ignite and burn for almost four minutes before it cuts off.
Electron Performs Battery Hot Swap
The Electron rocket has successfully completed the battery hot swap, switching power between batteries. The next milestone is second stage separation in about two minutes.
Liftoff For Coming To A Storm Near You!
NASA’s two TROPICS CubeSats have lifted off atop Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 at Māhia, New Zealand at 11:46 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 25, (3:46 p.m. NZST Friday, May 26th). A series of milestones will occur within several minutes after launch. The rocket will reach Max-Q – the speed at which the …
Rocket Lab’s Electron Rocket Prepares for Launch
TROPICS will launch aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, on a mission nicknamed Coming To A Storm Near You, from Launch Complex 1 at Māhia, New Zealand. The first mission – Rocket Like A Hurricane – launched on May 8 from New Zealand was Rocket Lab’s 36th Electron launch overall. The Electron is a 60-foot (18 …
Go For Launch!
The team has just called out Go for Launch, and the Electron rocket carrying NASA’s TROPICS mission should blast off in about 10 minutes.
Mission Facts About NASA’s TROPICS
NASA selected Rocket Lab to provide the launch service for the TROPICS mission as part of the agency’s VADR (Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare) launch services contract in November 2022. NASA’s Launch Services Program at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida manages the launch service. TROPICS is one of NASA’s Earth venture-instrument missions, …
Live Coverage of Today’s Launch Begins
Live coverage has begun for the second of two launches of NASA’s TROPICS mission. Rocket Lab is targeting no earlier than 11:46 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 25, (3:46 p.m. NZST Friday, May 26th) for the launch of Coming To A Storm Near You, the flight of the company’s Electron rocket that will send a pair …
Rocket Lab TROPICS Timeline of Events for Today’s Launch
A 70-minute window opens at 11:46 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 25, (3:46 p.m. NZST Friday, May 26th) to launch a pair of NASA’s TROPICS CubeSats today on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from New Zealand. Here’s a look at some of today’s upcoming milestones. All times are approximate: Timeline of Launch Events Hr/Min/Sec Event -00:02:00 …
Weather Now 85% Go For Launch
Weather is 85% favorable for the upcoming launch of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket carrying the final pair of NASA’s TROPICS CubeSats. The team is expecting minimal clouds and light winds over Launch Complex-1 in in Māhia, New Zealand throughout the countdown and through lift-off.
Weather 80% Go For Launch
Weather officials from Rocket Lab predict an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for today’s launch window. The primary weather concern for the launch window is ground winds. TROPICS CubeSats use different wavelengths to see different features of storms in their surrounding environment, and they make more frequent passes of tropical cyclones than current …