Thursday, September 3, 2020

Rocket Lab Launches First Satellite

Huntington Beach-based Rocket Lab announced on Thursday that it has launched its very first satellite, First Light, piggybacking on its "I Can't Believe It's Not Optical" mission. According to the company, the launch of its first in-house designed and built operational satellite is part of an effort to provide a "flexible platform" for a modern satellite. The company said that the the move will help it move from just a launch provider, to an "end-to-end space solutions company that offers turnkey satellites and spacecraft components, launch, and on-orbit operations." The company said it expects its first satellite to demonstrate power management, thermal control, and attitude control subsystems for future missions.