Rocket Lab - Running Out Of Fingers Mission patch.
Dec. 6, 2019
Electron “Running Out Of Fingers” launch
Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle launched the “Running Out Of Fingers” mission from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 6 December 2019, at 08:18 UTC (21:18 NZDT).
“Running Out Of Fingers” is Electron’s 10th mission, with six PocketQube microsatellites from Alba Orbital and one payload from ALE Co. Tokyo.
Electron “Running Out Of Fingers” launch
The Electron rocket and its Curie upper stage place the ALE-2 microsatellite into orbit for ALE Co. Ltd. of Japan to create human-made shooting stars by simulating re-entering meteor particles.
Onboard this rideshare mission are six spacecraft comprised of 5cm PocketQube microsatellites from satellite manufacturer and mission management provider Alba Orbital. The final payload on board was procured by satellite rideshare and mission management provider Spaceflight for ALE Co., Ltd (ALE), a Tokyo-based company creating microsatellites that simulate meteor particles.
Also on the launch are six spacecraft comprised of 5-centimeter PocketQube picosatellites from satellite manufacturer and mission management provider Alba Orbital. The mission is nicknamed “Running Out Of Fingers.”
Electron’s first stage will not be recovered from this mission, however the stage includes new hardware and sensors to inform future recovery efforts. As part of a first stage block upgrade, Electron’s booster will include guidance and navigation hardware, including S-band telemetry and onboard flight computer systems, to gather data during the first stage’s atmospheric re-entry. The stage is also equipped with a reaction control system to orient the booster during its re-entry descent.
ALE Co. Ltd.: http://star-ale.com/en/
Rocket Lab: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/
Credits: Text, Images and video courtesy of Rocket Lab/SciNews.
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