Rocket Lab Readies First 2022 Electron Launch, BlackSky Adds Another Mission to Manifest
January 18 2022 - 2:38PM
Business Wire
This 24th Electron launch is the latest in a
multi-launch deal with Spaceflight Inc. for BlackSky, which has
secured an additional fifth dedicated mission on Rocket Lab’s 2022
launch manifest following multiple successful missions last
year.
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a leading launch and space
systems company, has today announced the launch window for its
first Electron mission in 2022, a dedicated mission for BlackSky
(NYSE: BKSY) through global launch services provider Spaceflight
Inc.
Electron is scheduled to launch the “Without Mission A Beat”
mission from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand during a
launch window that opens February 4, 2022 UTC. The “Without Mission
A Beat” launch will be the fifth and sixth satellites delivered to
space for BlackSky by Rocket Lab in the past three months. This
dedicated mission will be Rocket Lab’s 24th Electron launch and
first mission of 2022. Rocket Lab will not be attempting to recover
Electron for this mission.
While this next mission was due to be the final launch in a
series of back-to-back missions for the company as part of a
multi-launch deal actioned last year, Spaceflight has since
commissioned an additional sixth launch for BlackSky on Electron to
take place in 2022. That dedicated mission will continue BlackSky’s
rapid business expansion by deploying another pair of Gen-2
Earth-imaging satellites to a precise location in low Earth orbit
for its growing satellite constellation.
Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck says: “This next mission is part of
the largest number of satellites BlackSky have committed in a
single deal to a launch provider, and we’re proud to be their
trusted partner to help grow their constellation. BlackSky adding
another mission to the Rocket Lab manifest is further confirmation
of Electron’s status as the dedicated small launch champion, and
we’re ready and eager to deliver these missions for BlackSky in the
weeks to come.”
These upcoming BlackSky missions begin a busy year of Electron
launches for Rocket Lab, including more bulk dedicated launches for
government and commercial satellite operators, other singular
dedicated and rideshare missions, and Rocket Lab’s mission to the
Moon for NASA on the upcoming CAPSTONE mission scheduled to launch
from New Zealand in the first half of the year.
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+ 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 107 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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+ Rocket Lab Media Contact Murielle Baker media@rocketlabusa.com
+64 27 538 9040
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