After another day’s delay due to bad weather, a Rocket Lab Electron KS rocket successfully launched three 30 kg Hawk satellites (Hawk 6A, 6B and 6C) into a 550 km low Earth orbit as part of the HawkEye 360 commercial radio frequency analysis constellation from the Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Wallops Island, Virginia at 2300 GMT on 24 January. The flight represented a change of launch site for the Electron rocket which normally flies from the Mahia Peninsula, North Island, New Zealand.
Comment by David Todd: The new spaceport is an important addition as it makes the Electron launch vehicle more attractive to US commercial and military users.
Curie upper stage engine burn’s bright on Electron KS after its first flight from Wallops Island. Courtesy: Rocket Lab
