Rocket Lab Selected to Launch NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System
October 06 2021 - 04:14PM
Business Wire
The Electron rocket will deploy an innovative
satellite designed to test new deployable structures and materials
technologies for solar sail propulsion systems, paving the way for
sunlight to power future deep space exploration
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the
Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems,
today announced it has been selected to launch NASA’s Advanced
Composite Solar Sail System, or ACS3, on the Electron launch
vehicle.
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the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211006005938/en/
NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail
System which will be launched by Rocket Lab's Electron launch
vehicle. (Photo: Business Wire)
NASA’s ACS3 technology demonstration uses composite materials -
or a combination of materials with different properties, in its
novel, lightweight booms that deploy from a CubeSat to support a
solar sail. Just as a sailboat is powered by wind in a sail, solar
sails employ the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, eliminating
the need for conventional rocket propellant. Data obtained from the
ACS3 demonstration will guide the design of future larger-scale
composite solar sail systems that could be used for space weather
early warning satellites, near-Earth asteroid reconnaissance
missions, or communications relays for crewed exploration
missions.
ACS3 will launch as part of a rideshare mission, scheduled for
lift-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in mid-2022. The ability
of the Electron launch vehicle’s Kick Stage to deploy individual
satellites to unique orbits, even when flying as part of a
rideshare, was a key factor in Rocket Lab being selected as the
launch provider. ACS3 requires a higher altitude than the other
rideshare payloads launching on the same mission, so after
deploying the first payloads, the Kick Stage will perform another
burn with its 3D printed Curie engine to raise the orbit and deploy
ACS3. Rocket Lab’s Kick Stage has demonstrated orbit raises across
18 missions to date, and also successfully conducted inclination
changes and orbit lowering, providing customers with proven,
flexible, and precise in-space transportation.
“We are thrilled to be NASA’s launch partner for this innovative
mission,” said Rocket Lab founder and Chief Executive, Peter Beck.
“It seems fitting to launch NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail
System on Electron, the world’s first full carbon composite orbital
launch vehicle. We’re excited to see composites used yet again to
unlock new capabilities in space.”
ACS3 Mission Partners:
- NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia is
designing ACS3’s deployable composite booms and solar sail
system.
- NanoAvionics of Columbia, Illinois is designing and building
the 12U CubeSat for the ACS3 technology demonstration.
- NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley is
managing the ACS3 project and will oversee final integration of the
solar sail payload and CubeSat.
- The Santa Clara University’s Robotics Systems Lab in Santa
Clara, California will provide CubeSat operations support for the
ACS3 technology demonstration.
- NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program within the agency’s
Space Technology Mission Directorate is sponsoring the ACS3 project
and is providing the funding for the launch .
- NASA’s Game Changing Development program within the agency’s
Space Technology Mission Directorate is developing ACS3’s
deployable composite boom technology.
For more information about the ACS3 technology demonstration
visit:
www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/ACS3
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, spacecraft components, satellites and other
spacecraft 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 and the Photon satellite platform and
is developing the Neutron 8-ton payload class launch vehicle. 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 105 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, one of which is currently
operational, and a second launch site in Virginia, USA which is
expected to become operational by the end of 2021. To learn more,
visit www.rocketlabusa.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain certain “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of
1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements, including
without limitation expectations regarding the timing of scheduled
launches, are based on Rocket Lab’s current expectations and
beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects.
These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks,
uncertainties (many of which are beyond Rocket Lab’s control), or
other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to
be materially different from those expressed or implied by these
forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause actual future
events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in
this press release, including risks related to the global COVID-19
pandemic, including risks related to government restrictions and
lock-downs in New Zealand and other countries in which we operate
that could delay or suspend our operations; delays and disruptions
in expansion efforts; our dependence on a limited number of
customers; the harsh and unpredictable environment of space in
which our products operate
which could adversely affect our launch vehicle and spacecraft;
increased congestion from the proliferation of low Earth orbit
constellations which could materially increase the risk of
potential collision with space debris or another spacecraft and
limit or impair our launch flexibility and/or access to our own
orbital slots; increased competition in our industry due in part to
rapid technological development and decreasing costs; technological
change in our industry which we may not be able to keep up with or
which may render our services uncompetitive; average selling price
trends; failure of our satellites to operate as intended either due
to our error in design in production or through no fault of our
own; launch schedule disruptions; supply chain disruptions, product
delays or failures; design and engineering flaws; launch failures;
natural disasters and epidemics or pandemics; changes in
governmental regulations including with respect to trade and export
restrictions, or in the status of our regulatory approvals or
applications; or other events that force us to cancel or reschedule
launches, including customer contractual rescheduling and
termination rights, and the other risks detailed from time to time
in Rocket Lab’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere (including that the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may also exacerbate the risks
discussed therein). There can be no assurance that the future
developments affecting Rocket Lab will be those that we have
anticipated. Except as required by law, Rocket Lab is not
undertaking any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211006005938/en/
+ Rocket Lab Media Contact Morgan Bailey media@rocketlabusa.com
+64 27 538 9039
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