Spaceflight to Launch Smallsats for Canon Electronics, BlackSky, and Others On Three Upcoming Rocket Lab Missions

11 June 2018

Spaceflight has partnered with Rocket Lab for three upcoming launches. The first Electron mission, scheduled for the end of 2018, will launch a BlackSky microsat along with several rideshare customers. The second mission will launch satellites from commercial and government organizations in early 2019, and the third mission, also scheduled for early 2019, will launch a spacecraft from Canon Electronics.

All three missions will lift off from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand and dispense the customer spacecraft into Lower Earth Orbit. Spaceflight has procured the launch capacity on behalf of its customers and will provide mission campaign integration services. Rocket Lab will assist with satellite to launch vehicle integration and will provide the launch service to orbit using the Electron.

Following on the success of Canon Electronics’ experimental Earth observing micro satellite CE-SAT-I which was launched in 2017, the company secured launch services with Spaceflight via Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket. “This launch is very critical for Canon Electronics as we are launching two satellites built with all components made by Canon Electronics. CE-SAT-I Mark II is our first mass-production model, and CE-SAT-II is a model equipped with two cameras with different resolutions,” said Dr. Nobutada Sako, group executive, Satellite Systems Lab, Canon Electronics Inc. “Just as Canon provides world premium technologies, sales, and services, we believe Spaceflight and Rocket Lab offer the same premium services to their clients and look forward to a long-term partnership with them.”

This deal cements Spaceflight’s first missions aboard the Electron rocket and signifies the company’s continual expansion of dedicated rideshare missions to small launchers. “Adding the Electron to our portfolio of small launch vehicles fulfills a need for customers to access space with shorter lead times,” said Melissa Wuerl, Spaceflight’s vice president of business development. “In addition to providing rideshare services on other organizations’ missions, we are pleased to offer first-class integration services and dedicated launches for our customers on the Electron rocket.”

“Rapid and repeatable access to space is crucial for the development of vital infrastructure on orbit,” added Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “In partnering with Spaceflight, Rocket Lab delivers streamlined launches and enables innovative missions like those of Canon Electronics and BlackSky.”