Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the
Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems,
today announced that the two spacecraft the Company is building for
NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers
(ESCAPADE) mission have entered the system integration phase in
preparation for a planned launch in 2024.
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One of two Rocket Lab-built spacecraft
for NASA and UCBSSL's ESCAPADE mission to Mars. Rocket Lab photo by
Austin Adams.
The ESCAPADE mission, led by Dr. Rob Lillis at the University of
California, Berkeley’s (UCB) Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL), is a
twin-spacecraft science mission that will orbit Mars to investigate
the structure, composition, variability, and dynamics of Mars'
unique hybrid magnetosphere. The mission will explore how the solar
wind strips atmosphere away from Mars to better understand how its
climate has changed over time. Each spacecraft will carry an
instrument suite that includes a magnetometer for measuring
magnetic field, an electrostatic analyzer to measure ions and
electrons, and a Langmuir probe for measuring plasma density and
solar extreme ultraviolet flux.
To ensure that the two spacecraft are ready for the harsh
environment of space and their roughly 230-million-mile journey to
the red planet, the Rocket Lab Space Systems team has successfully
passed System Integration Review (SIR) and is proceeding with
integration of the flight hardware in preparation for launch.
Integration includes both the spacecraft bus with Rocket
Lab-manufactured solar arrays, reaction wheels, star trackers,
separation systems, radios, and flight software and the flight
instruments being delivered from UCB and other mission partners. In
addition to a battery of functional tests to verify performance,
the spacecraft are undergoing a full environmental test campaign,
including vibration, thermal vacuum, and electromagnetic
compatibility testing. The Company has also concluded RF
compatibility testing with NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), which
will communicate with Rocket Lab’s Frontier-X radios on both
spacecraft and provide navigation services to the mission.
“Reaching the flight integration phase for a new spacecraft is a
significant milestone, especially for a complex interplanetary
mission like this,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck.
“Building on the successful delivery of a spacecraft to lunar orbit
for NASA last year, it's a privilege to be developing a spacecraft
headed for deep space to perform Decadal-class science with our
partners at UC Berkeley.”
The ESCAPADE spacecraft integration and test is taking place at
Rocket Lab’s advanced spacecraft development and manufacturing
complex within the Company’s Long Beach headquarters. The facility
includes a 12,000 sq. ft. cleanroom and 40,000 sq. ft. of
production & test facilities designed to support constellation
class manufacturing and satellite assembly, integration and test
for commercial, civil and national security customers.
ESCAPADE is being developed under NASA’s Small Innovative
Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program in the Science
Mission Directorate (SMD) and is the first Heliophysics mission to
another planet. The mission is led by the University of California,
Berkeley’s (UCB) Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) with spacecraft
provided by Rocket Lab. The two spacecraft are planned for launch
in 2024 to low Earth orbit aboard a Blue Origin New Glenn launch
vehicle provided by NASA. Rocket Lab’s spacecraft will then perform
the Mars transfer from Earth orbit, 11-month cruise to Mars, and
Mars orbit insertion before achieving a “string of pearls” orbit
formation in advance of the science phase beginning in 2026.
+ 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, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, 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, the Photon satellite platform, and the
Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for
constellation deployment. 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 171
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 and a third
launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit
www.rocketlabusa.com.
+ Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by
the safe harbor provisions for forward looking statements contained
in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in
this press release other than statements of historical fact,
including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and
space systems operation, launch schedule and window, safe and
repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational
expansion and business strategy are forward-looking statements. All
statements contained in this press release other than statements of
historical fact, including, without limitation, statements
regarding our launch and space systems operation, launch schedule
and window, safe and repeatable access to space, Neutron
development, operational expansion, business strategy, and
expectations relating to our financial condition, results of
operations, plans, objectives and future performance are
forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,”
“estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,”
“expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,”
“plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking
statements use these words or expressions. These statements are
neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our
actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including
but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in
our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2022, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our
other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the
Investor Relations section of our website at www.rocketlabusa.com,
which could cause our actual results to differ materially from
those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this
press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent
management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While
we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some
point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if
subsequent events cause our views to change.
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+ Rocket Lab Media Contact Michael Atchue
media@rocketlabusa.com
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