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Rocket Lab launched a spacecraft Tuesday morning to test technology that will be used for its Moon and Venus missions, as well as a controversial military satellite and five other payloads.
The company’s 18th orbital mission from its launch complex on the Māhia Peninsula near Gisborne took off at 11:30 am and can be seen above. It will bring the number of satellites launched by Rocket Lab to 104.
Rocket Lab / Screenshot / Stuff
A view of the Electron rocket above the ground.
Peace activists are planning a protest Wednesday to oppose the Electron rocket traveling into space for a “Gunsmoke-J” satellite developed by the US Army’s Missile and Space Defense Command.
Although Rocket Lab has launched surveillance satellites for the U.S. military and also one for the Mexican defense force in the past, its participation in the Gunsmoke-J program has drawn more controversy because those satellites are meant to be capable of help shoot directly into a conflict. .
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The launch brought the number of satellites deployed in space by Rocket Lab to three figures.
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* The new rocket will be a ‘workhorse’ for the space industry, says Peter Beck of Rocket Lab.
* Open letter to Prime Minister expresses concern over planned launch of Rocket Lab ‘Gunsmoke-J’
* First operational New Zealand-made satellite sent into orbit, says Rocket Lab
* Rocket Lab wins NASA contract to provide a ‘trip to the moon’ for a small satellite mission
The Peace Foundation’s Committee on International Affairs and Disarmament has expressed concern that the satellite may violate New Zealand’s nuclear-weapon-free laws by helping to target nuclear weapons.
US Defense documents suggest, however, that the goal is to help accurately direct ground fire against small moving targets, for example, in battlefield situations.
Rocket Lab / Screenshot / Stuff
The Electron rocket had a successful launch.
Police confirmed to Things who had been assessing community sentiment toward Rocket Lab in the run-up to possible protests, which included visiting a concerned community member.
The Rocket Lab spacecraft aboard the Electron is a Photon Pathstone spacecraft that she designed to test power management, thermal control, deep space radio capability, solar sensors, and other systems.
They will be needed to support the launch of a lunar orbital satellite for NASA later this year, and its own private mission to check for signs of life in Venus’s atmosphere in 2023.
