Rocket Lab USA, Inc a leading launch and space Systems Company successfully completed the second of two dedicated Electron launches to deploy a constellation of tropical cyclone monitoring satellites for NASA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Coming To A Storm Near You launch lifted-off on May 26 at 15:46 NZST (03:46 UTC) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand\u2019s Mahia Peninsula, deploying the final two CubeSats of NASA\u2019s TROPICS constellation (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) to orbit. \u2018Coming to a Storm near You\u2019 is Rocket Lab\u2019s second of two TROPICS launches for NASA, following the first launch on May 8th NZST. Like the previous launch, \u2018Coming to a Storm near You\u2019 deployed a pair of shoebox-sized satellites to low Earth orbit to collect tropical storm data more frequently than other weather satellites. The constellation aims to help increase understanding of deadly storms and improve tropical cyclone forecasts<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The TROPICS CubeSats required launch to a specific orbit at an altitude of 550 kilometers and inclination of about 30 degrees, with all four satellites needing to be deployed into their operational orbit within a 60-day period ahead. Rocket Lab has now launched all four satellites across two dedicated launches within 18 days, enabling the TROPICS satellites to settle into their orbits and begin commissioning ahead of the 2023 North American storm season which begins in June. While the TROPICS launches were Rocket Lab\u2019s 36th and 37th launches, they were unique from most of the Company\u2019s other missions to low Earth orbit due to the 30 degree inclination requirement. To reach such a low inclination from Launch Complex 1, Rocket Lab used Electron\u2019s second stage to place the Kick Stage and TROPICS satellites into a circular orbit, and the Kick Stage\u2019s Curie engine carried out a plane change maneuver to position the TROPICS satellites at 30 degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cElectron was developed for exactly these kids of missions \u2013 to deploy spacecraft reliably and on rapid timelines to precise and bespoke orbits, so we\u2019re proud to have delivered that for NASA across both TROPICS launches and meet the deadline for getting TROPICS to orbit in time for the 2023 storm season,\u201d said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck. \u201cThank you to the team at NASA for entrusting us with such an important science mission, we\u2019re grateful to be your mission launch providers once again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We needed multiple launches for this mission,” said Dr. Will McCarty, program scientist, NASA’s Earth Science Division. “Rocket Lab provided the ability to have the TROPICS CubeSats serve as that primary payload and thus define the orbit based on our scientific objectives.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Coming to a Storm near You\u2019 was Rocket Lab\u2019s fifth mission for 2023 and the Company\u2019s 37th Electron mission overall. It brings the total number of satellites launched to orbit by Rocket Lab to 163.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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