Satellite Satellite Commissioning Will Create US Launch Site

The small satellite launch company Rocket Lab plans to build a new launch site in the United States, the company said Tuesday. 10).

Although Rocket Lab is an American start-up based in California, it has launched missions only from New Zealand, where the company built the world's first privately owned private launch complex on an isolated peninsula.

Rocket Lab is currently investigating four potential sites for a second US-based launch facility, and the company is expected to decide by August, Rocket Lab officials said in a statement. communicated. The new facility, called Launch Complex 2, will support future launches of Rocket Lab's Electron rocket, a small light launcher specifically designed for small satellites. [Rocket Lab Aims to Win Cubesat-Launching Race]

The four sites considered by Rocket Lab for its new facilities are as follows:

"The four potential launch sites are evaluated according to a series of criteria, including anticipated costs, and ongoing costs once the site is up and running, "Rocket Lab officials said in the release," Rocket Lab is looking at the East Coast and West Coast locations, because the latitude of the launch site determines the type of orbit that a satellite can enter.

Once the site is selected, Rocket Lab will have to build a launch tower specifically adapted to the Electron rocket.The company intends to launch the first launch complex 2 in the second quarter of 2019, or between April and June, after which Launch Complex 2 will be able to launch rockets on a monthly basis, compared to Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. a rocket every 72 hours.

Rocket Lab is already looking for new employees to help with the expansion. "We are looking for production managers, mechanical assemblers, propulsion test engineers, avionics fitters, process engineers and more," wrote the Rocket Lab . (See full list of vacancies here.)

"The development of the Rocket Lab launch site reinforces our current position as industry leader [in] providing frequent and tailored access to small satellites. " Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said in the statement. "The launch from US ground adds an additional layer of flexibility for our government and commercial customers, providing an unmatched ability to quickly deploy space assets with confidence and precision."

Rocket Lab's Big Announcement comes in less than two weeks after the company indefinitely postponed its first commercial satellite launch. The engineers had discovered a problem with the engine controller of the electronic rocket on the dashboard. Until now, Rocket Lab has launched its Electron rocket on only two test flights; Only the second mission, titled "Still Testing", successfully reached orbit.

Email Hanneke Weitering at [email protected] or follow her @hannekescience . Follow us on @Spacedotcom Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com