The Electron for Rocket Lab's 30th mission, 'The Owl Spreads its Wings', on the launchpad at Mahia. Photo/ Supplied
A Rocket Lab Electron successfully launched from Mahia at 8.38am today, carrying an Earth-observation satellite for Synspective, a Japanese startup company planning a fleet of 30 radar imaging spacecraft.
It was the Kiwi-American company's 30th launch, and its third for Synspective. Watch below. Watch a replay of the livestream below.
Meanwhile, the Kiwi-American company expanded its ties with the US military establishment.
Rocket Lab signed an agreement with the US Department of Defense to explore how its Electron and Neutron rockets would be used for rapid delivery of military cargo to points around the world.
The DoD signed a similar deal with US firm Sierra Space, which has a space plane called the Dream Chaser in development, with its first launch targetted for early 2023.
Rocket Lab did not reveal funding details or a timeline for the project.
The firm says it will work with the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) "to explore the possibility of using the Company's Neutron and Electron launch vehicles to transport cargo around the world. The agreement will also see Rocket Lab explore using Photon spacecraft to establish on-orbit cargo depots and deliver re-entry capability".
Photon is the upper stage of the Electron, which also functions as a "satellite bus" that can place payloads into the correct orbit.
Rocket Lab will work with the US Air Force and its US Space Force division on the project.
Last September, Rocket Lab secured US$24.35 million ($39.8m) in Space Force funding to develop the upper stage of its Neutron rocket, according to a statement released by the USAF.
The much larger Neutron is due for its first launch in 2024. A production and mission control facility is currently under construction in the US state of Virginia, which has chipped in with US$45m ($73m) to subsidise the project.
This month has also seen Rocket Lab compete its first test-firing of a re-used Rutherford engine (that is, from an Electron first-stage fished out of the ocean). Today's mission won't include a recovery but Rocket Lab says it continues to work on its recovery pushing following a May effort that saw a helicopter catch a first-stage falling under parachute, only for the pilot to release it after a few seconds.
July saw Rocket Lab named to supply solar panels for Space Force's new missile warning satellites (a deal made possible by Rocket Lab's purchase of New Mexico-based SolAero for US$80m this year).
The same month saw Rocket Lab launch Nasa's Capstone satellite, then place it on a path to lunar orbit.
Shortly after, Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck confirmed timing for his firm's self-funded mission to Venus, which will launch next May.
The firm reported a net loss of US$37.4 million for the three months to June 30, more than double the US$16.7m it lost for the same period last year.
But the Kiwi-American firm said revenue that surged to US$55.5m, or five times the amount of its Covid-hit second quarter in 2021, and a third above its first quarter of this year.
It forecast third-quarter revenue would grow to between US$60m and US$63m, and said its adjusted earnings loss would be between US$8m and US$12m (from US$8.5m in the second quarter).
Rocket Lab finished the quarter with US$543m cash from the year-ago US$691m.
On September 5, our Government announced $15.7m in funding to put New Zealand on the path to a space sector of "global importance".
The funding includes $9m for research partnership with Nasa, and new funding to help the civil aviation sector keep up with the challenge of regulating the fast-evolving sector.
It follows a military space accord signed by the Five Eyes countries - the US, Australia, Canada, the UK and New Zealand - plus Germany and France in February, which said, "We share a desire to accelerate and improve our ability to conduct combined military space operations."
'I can imagine people being outraged that TVNZ signed a deal with me.'