Unlike SpaceX, Rocket Lab doesn’t have a public goal set for the number of launches this year, but a clear one has emerged. For the first time Rocket Lab, with its Electron rocket, could reach double-digit launches in 2023; here’s a list of all of them to help you keep track.
Rocket Lab has launched nine Electron rockets, three from the US and six from New Zealand.
Rocket Lab 2023 launches at a glance
Number of launches: 9 (Electron: 8, HASTE: 1)
Launch success rate: 88%
Launch rate: 29.11 days
New Zealand launches: 6 (Pad A: 0, Pad B: 6)
Virginia, USA launches: 3
Total payload mass: ~820 kg (Does not include HASTE payloads)
Successful recoveries: 3 (Attempts: 3)
US launch debut
While Rocket Lab has been a US launch company since its creation in 2006 and headquartered in Long Beach, California, it has only launched from its range in New Zealand until this year. The company’s pad at NASA’s Wallop Flight Facility in Virginia has been a work in progress for several years but finally saw action in January.
The launch, named Virginia is for Launch Lovers, carried three BlackSky satellites on an Electron rocket. Since then, Rocket Lab has launched a second mission from the pad it calls LC-2 and has several more scheduled.
Join our Discord Server: Join the community with forums and chatrooms about space!
NASA TROPICS return to flight
Rocket Lab won the contract to launch four satellites for NASA after the first launch failed on an Astra launch vehicle. The mission, TROPICS, will study the temperature of tropical storm systems at a much higher frequency than what was possible before.
The satellites will be split up over two launches and will also occur at Rocket Lab’s Virginia launch site this spring. While the planned constellation of six won’t be at full strength, it will still serve great scientific value if its launches are successful.
Capella Space to anchor four launches this year
A name we will often see this year is Capella Space. The company signed a contract to launch four of its third-generation satellites on Rocket Lab rockets. It also featured the second launch of this year, carrying two second-generation satellites into orbit in March.
These launches are currently scheduled to take place on Electron rockets from New Zealand rather than Virginia like the first one. However, it will anchor at most five total launches there, halfway to Electron getting to double digits in 2023.
List of Rocket Lab Electron launches in 2023
| Date (UTC) | Mission | Payload | Launch Pad | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 24 | Virginia is for Launch Lovers | 3 HawkEye 360 CubeSats | LC-2 | No Attempt |
| March 16 | Stronger Together | Capella 9 & 10 | LC-2 | No Attempt |
| March 24 | The Beat Goes On | BlackSky 18 & 19 | LC-1B | Successful Splashdown |
| April 7 | Rocket Like a Hurricane | NASA TROPICS 3 & 4 | LC-1B | No Attempt |
| May 26 | Coming to a Storm Near You | NASA TROPICS 5 & 6 | LC-1B | No Attempt |
| June 18 | HASTE-1 | Unknown | LC-2 | No Attempt |
| July 18 | Baby Come Back | SSO Rideshare | LC-1B | Successful Splashdown |
| August 23 | We Love The Nightlife | Capella Acadia 1 | LC-1B | Successful Splashdown |
| September 19 | We Will Never Desert You (Failed) | Capella Acadia 2 | LC-1B | No Attempt |
| December 15 | The Moon God Awakens | QPS-SAR-5 (TSUKUYOMI-I) | LC-1B | No Attempt |
Other launch trackers:
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments