Rocket Lab’s Mission, In Focus, to Commence in October 2020

Rocket Lab, a space giant company, has a project they are calling In Focus that will be paramount in the Earth observation satellite operations worldwide. The launch date has been set for some time in October, and it will take place in New Zealand at the LC-1.

The Mission Details

The project will place ten small satellites that will take a position on Earth’s orbit to facilitate proper imaging of the planet. This mission is the fifteenth of Rocket Labs’ missions overall in 2020. The satellites will be taken into orbit onboard the company’s Electron rocket.

Planet Lab, the Earth-imaging enterprise, has 9 SuperDove satellites that have modernized tech on board. They have a route according to which they will settle 500km in orbit above Earth. Each will be interconnected with and projected from the Maxwell dispensers. These dispensers, products of Rocket Lab, are so far the lightest CubeSats in their category.

The Flock 4e, also from Planet SuperDoves collection, will join the constellation that will have already been set in orbit. These devices will offer a medium-resolution worldwide coverage.

Canon Electronics Inc. will also have their CE-SAT-11B as a payload on the rideshare project. This device is a micro satellite with a high-quality telescope fully equipped with a camera installed that will take clear images of the Earth at night and send them to the research facilities.

This is one of many Rocket Lab missions set this year. One of the other tasks is the Q4, which aims to assist in the first phase Electron recovery attempt. This mission will be armed with the latest technology, including hardware and software, to facilitate smooth operations back to Earth. The gear will include a parachute system that will slow down the device’s descent as it lands on the surface of the ocean where it will be picked up by a ship.

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab’s Chief Executive Officer, stated that this project highlights a flexible industrial Electron vehicle that could be used for multiple purposes. It offers SmallSat companies a seamless trajectory of multiple space devices to several destinations in one mission. 

This shows an eventual reduction in costs for space exploration missions – an excellent way to use the resources available.