Two missions launched in less than 24 hours
from two pads in two different hemispheres, setting a new company
record for fastest launch turnaround.
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the
Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems,
today successfully launched its 56th Electron mission, deploying
five satellites to Low Earth Orbit for French Internet-of-Things
(IoT) constellation operator Kinéis.
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the full release here:
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Rocket Lab's Electron rocket lifts off
the pad at Launch Complex 1 to deploy satellites to orbit for
French constellation operator Kinéis. The launch was the company's
second in less than 24 hours. Image credit: Rocket Lab and Rory
Gannaway
The “Ice AIS Baby” mission lifted-off from Rocket Lab Launch
Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand at 4:55 pm on 25 November NZDT
(03:55 UTC), successfully deploying five satellites to a 643 km low
Earth orbit. The mission was Rocket Lab’s 14th mission of 2024 and
56th launch overall. It also brought the total count of satellites
deployed by Rocket Lab to 203, further cementing Electron’s
position as the leading small launch vehicle globally. The launch
took place just 21 hours and 55 minutes after Rocket Lab completed
a successful mission from Launch Complex 2 in Virginia, setting a
new company record for fastest turnaround between launches.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck said: “Two successful
launches less than 24 hours apart from pads in different
hemispheres. That’s unprecedented capability in the small launch
market and one we’re immensely proud to deliver at Rocket Lab.
Customers like Kinéis are unlocking the potential of space and
we’re excited to give them the keys to do so with frequent,
dedicated, and reliable small launch opportunities.”
Kinéis CEO Alexandre Tisserant, says: “The Kinéis teams have
once again demonstrated their technical capabilities as satellite
operators by taking control of these five new satellites at a
sustained launch rate. This achievement would not have been
possible without Rocket Lab’s Electron precision in placing our
satellites in their planned positions. With 15 Kinéis satellites
now in orbit, we’re one step closer to the full deployment of our
dedicated IoT constellation for transmitting data in near-real
time, anywhere on the globe. Congratulations to all our teams, who
are doing an incredible job - and, let’s not forget, a European
first! We’re equally enthusiastic about our second mission, AIS. In
a rapidly consolidating market, Kinéis is establishing itself as a
sovereign European player, combining technological expertise and
strategic independence. With our new AIS offering, we provide
maritime players with enhanced visibility over their fleets, while
ensuring higher data reliability.”
The “Ice AIS Baby” mission was the third of five dedicated
Electron launches for Kinéis, a company backed by private and
public investors including the French government’s space agency
CNES (Centre National d'Études Spatiales) and CLS (Collecte
Localisation Satellites), an international space-based solutions
provider, to improve global IoT connectivity. The Kinéis
constellation is designed to make it possible to connect and locate
any connected object anywhere in the world, enabling data
transmission to users in near-real time, at low bit rates and with
very low energy consumption. By enabling internet connection to the
Earth’s most remote locations, Kinéis constellation can support
forest fire detection, water resource management, infrastructure
and energy network monitoring, transport and logistics tracking,
and much more.
Launch images: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBSWqi
Launch webcast:
www.youtube.com/live/i081vyh3WO0?si=qfXyY5ejvJZwscP0
+ About Rocket Lab Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an
end-to-end space company with an established track record of
mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite
manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management
solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to
access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab
designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle,
a family of flight-proven spacecraft, and the Company is developing
the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment.
Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s
Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently
launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered more than 200
satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations,
enabling operations in national security, scientific research,
space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and
communications. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been
selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as
the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three
launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a
private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third
launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit
www.rocketlabusa.com.
+ Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by
the safe harbor provisions for forward looking statements contained
in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in
this press release other than statements of historical fact,
including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and
space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and
repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational
expansion and business strategy are forward-looking statements. The
words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,”
“continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,”
“could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements,
though not all forward-looking statements use these words or
expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees,
but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or
achievements to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by the
forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the
factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as such
factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on
the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section
of our website at www.rocketlabusa.com, which could cause our
actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the
forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such
forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of
the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such
forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim
any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views
to change.
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+ Rocket Lab Media Contact Morgan Connaughton
media@rocketlabusa.com
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