Early on July the 18th 2023, Rocket Lab launched its 'Baby Come Back' mission for the thirty-ninth flight of its Electron rocket. This mission launched seven satellites into a Sun-Syncronus orbit for NASA, Telesat, and SpinGlobal. Electron is Rocket Lab's Kerelox, Kerosene and Liquid Oxygen, small satellite launch vehicle that has been flying since the 25th of May 2017. This launch took place from Rocket Lab's privately owned launch site in the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand.
The payloads for this mission were; four Starling satellites for NASA, Telesat's LEO 3 demonstration satellite, and two 3U satellites from SpinGlobal with GNSS-RO payloads onboard. NASA's Starling satellites are aiming to test if a group of four satellites can operate in a synchronized manner on orbit without using ground-based resources. Telesat's LEO 3 satellite will test Ka-band and V-band payloads to provide continuity to their customer following decommissioning of their older on-orbit assets. SpinGlobal's two 3U satellites and its GNSS-RO payloads will provide measurements of the Earth's atmosphere and ionosphere.
What is Electron?
Electron is a two-stage partially reusable launch vehicle developed by Rocket Lab. Electron utilizes the first electric-pump-fed engines to power its Kerolox-fueled small rocket on both stages and is made of carbon fiber for its tanks. Rocket Lab claims Electron can launch 300 kilograms into low Earth orbit or 200 kilograms into Sun-Syncronous orbit. For its recovery, Electron lands in the ocean under a parachute unlike SpaceX's Falcon 9 which lands propulsively at sea or on land. Rocket Lab recovers the rocket under a parachute to reduce engine wear and maintain payload capacity.