The payload, NROL-162, is the first of two to be launched by Rocket Lab and is designed to respond to “world events and humanitarian issues”. The second is set to lift-off from the same complex on the southern tip of Māhia Peninsula, on the North Island, on 22 July.
Rocket Lab’s chief executive, Peter Beck, called the deployment a “fantastic achievement”.
“No other small launch provider has ever before prepared a dedicated launch for a small national security payload in such a rapid turnround [sic], and our sights are set on delivering the next NRO mission to space in record-time,” he said.
The first mission, dubbed “Wise One Looks Ahead”, used Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle and was commissioned by the US’ space-intelligence agency, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
It follows then-defence minister Peter Dutton in March revealing that the two countries had committed to collaborating on defence satellite projects.
The NROL-162 and subsequent NROL-199 satellites are the latest pair of missions awarded by the NRO under the “Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket” (RASR) contract.
Last year, Space Connect reported how Rocket Lab was building a new eight-tonne reusable rocket for “mega-constellation” deployment.
Neutron is expected to build on the company’s Electron launch vehicle, which supports access to orbit for small satellites of up to 300 kilograms, and to provide a high-flight-rate dedicated launch solution for larger commercial and government payloads.
“Rocket Lab solved small launch with Electron. Now we’re unlocking a new category with Neutron,” said Beck.
“We’ve listened to our customers and the message is clear — biggest doesn’t always mean best when it comes to constellation deployment.
“Efficiently building the mega-constellations of the future requires launching multiple satellites in batches to different orbital planes. It’s a requirement that all too often sees large launch vehicles fly with payloads well below their full lift capacity, which is an incredibly expensive and inefficient way to build out a satellite constellation.”
According to Beck, Neutron’s eight-tonne lift capacity would make it “ideally sized” to deploy satellites in batches to specific orbital planes, creating a “more targeted and streamlined” approach to building out mega-constellations.
The new launch vehicle is also expected to provide a dedicated service to orbit for larger civil, defence and commercial payloads, which require a level of schedule control and high-flight cadence, currently unavailable on large and heavy-lift rockets.
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