Rocket Lab Electron PREFIRE And Ice (PREFIRE 2)
Electron
Status
Success
Date
5 JUN 2024
03:15
Launch Provider
Rocket Lab
Launch Pad
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Mission Overview
Second 6U Cubesat carrying a miniaturized IR spectrometer, covering 0- 45 μm at 0.84 μm spectral resolution, operating for one seasonal cycle for NASAs PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission.
Rocket
Electron
Mission Type
Earth Science
Orbit
Polar Orbit
Stages
3
Livestream
Rocket Details
Electron is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle (with an optional third stage) developed by the American aerospace company Rocket Lab. Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle designed to launch small satellites and cubesats to sun-synchronous orbit and low earth orbit. The Electron is the first orbital class rocket to use electric-pump-fed engines, powered by the 9 Rutherford engines on the first stage. It is also used as a suborbital testbed (called HASTE) for hypersonics research.
Height
18 m
Diameter
1.2 m
Launch Mass
13 T
Thrust
162 kN