Rocket Lab Reaches New Annual
Launch Record with 10th Electron Mission This Year
December 15, 2023
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. successfully
launched its 42nd Electron rocket and deployed a
satellite for Japan-based Earth imaging company the
Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS). The
mission was Rocket Lab’s 10th Electron launch for the
year, surpassing the Company’s previous annual record of
nine launches in 2022. For the fifth year in a row,
Electron has retained the title of second most
frequently launched U.S. rocket annually.
The mission, named “The Moon God
Awakens”, launched from Pad B at Rocket Lab’s Launch
Complex 1 in New Zealand at 17:05 NZDT / 04:05 UTC on
December 15th. Named after the Japanese God of the Moon,
the iQPS-SAR-5 satellite “TSUKUYOMI-I” is a
synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite that will
collect high-resolution images of Earth. The satellite
joins another iQPS satellite already in orbit and forms
part of what will eventually be a 36-satellite
constellation capable of monitoring Earth at specific
fixed points every 10 minutes.
The mission went from contract
signing to successful launch in just eight months, once
again demonstrating Rocket Lab’s ability to provide
tailored, dedicated launches on rapid timelines.
“Congratulations to our team for
hitting a new annual launch record of ten missions,
further cementing Electron’s position as the leading
small launch vehicle globally. Once again, for the fifth
year running, Electron is the second most frequently
launched U.S. rocket annually and we look forward to
building on that record with an even busier year of
launches in 2024,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter
Beck. “It has been a privilege to provide the team at
iQPS with a dedicated ride to orbit on an accelerated
timeline and we’re honored to play a key role in
building out their SAR constellation with Electron.”
Fullerton Hotel, Sydney
3 & 4 June 2024
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