Rocket Lab successfully launched its Electron rocket and deployed two Capella Space radar imaging satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO).
The vehicle lifted off from the company’s launch site on Wallops Island, Virginia, at 22:38 GMT on 16 March, five days after its originally scheduled date. The planned launch was delayed due to high winds at the site.
The Electron safely delivered Capella 9 and 10, two synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellites onboard the vehicle, to a 600 km circular orbit around 58 minutes after liftoff. The satellites, developed and operated by Capella Space, are part of the Capella constellation.
Rocket Lab’s next mission, for BlackSky, is scheduled to launch later in the month from its launch site in New Zealand.
Rocket Lab’s Electron launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, is its second mission from the site. Courtesy: Rocket Lab
