Rocket Lab Selects NASA Facilities in Virginia as US Spaceport

Rocket Lab Selects NASA Facilities in Virginia as US Spaceport

Rocket Lab said it would build the launch pad at the Atlantic Regional Spaceport on the east coast.

The facility, dubbed Launch Complex 2, offers an alternative solution based on the US market. Rocket Lab & # 39; s first launch pad on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand.

Rocket Lab says it will now send small satellites into orbit from the US state of Virginia and the Mahia Peninsula.

Rocket Lab successfully launched the rocket into space today after a long period of waiting.

The Wallops flight facility, located in the seaside area of ​​the east coast of Virginia, was one of four Rocket Lab & # 39; s short list of commercial satellite launches from US soil. "We are looking forward, with our partner Virginia Space and its Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, to support Rocket Lab & # 39; s Electron missions and development of commercial launch operations from Wallops ".

Building on its existing launch capability at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, Rocket Lab said it planned to complete more than 130 launches a year, supporting monthly orbital launches for the US government and commercial customers. Rocket Lab would have invested $ 20 million to build the new launch site and will receive a $ 5 million grant from the State Department of Transportation Virginia.

As its name indicates, LC-2 is Rocket Lab & # 39; s second launch site, but this is the first site in the United States. The construction of Launch Pad 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Regional Spaceport and the Launch Vehicle Integration and Assembly Center, which will be located near the Wallops Research Park, will begin immediately.

SpaceWorks, an Atlanta-based consulting firm, predicted in January that 2,000 satellites will be in orbit over the next five years.

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Rocket Lab Its headquarters and production center are located in Huntington Beach, California.

"A lot of our systems are modular – they can be built in separate workshops, all in parallel," said Shaun D & # 39; Mello, Rocket Lab & # 39; s Vice President of the launch.

"We are honored to be Rocket Lab & # 39; s selection for Launch Complex 2, "said Dale Nash, CEO and Executive Director of Virginia Space.

"Wallops is clearly the winner," he said.

After that, the company must launch an Electron mission to NASA in December.

"The level of cooperation and partnership between Virginia Space, the NASA Wallops Flight Facility and their respective customers are rare. "Virginia Space and the Wallops Flight Facility team work seamlessly to provide exceptional service, security, and responsiveness. This collaboration provides an exceptional program experience, allowing clients like Rocket Lab focus on their mission and meet fast deadlines at a reasonable cost. "

Rocket Lab In January, its cargo included a terrestrial imagery satellite for Planet, a company providing customers with information on all activities, from floods to deforestation. The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority owns and operates the regional spaceport.

"The access to the space must be simple, transparent and adapted to the missions of our customers, from the idea to the orbit". Rocket Lab develops and launches state-of-the-art rocket technology to provide fast and reproducible in-orbit access to small satellites.