Rocket Lab has successfully launched seven small satellites aboard an Electron rocket earlier this morning.
The mission, dubbed Make it Rain was launched from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand’s North Island. The electron rocket carrying the satellites for both commercial and military customers lifted off at 04:30 on June 29, 2019.
Following a successful launch and second stage burn, the rocket’s Kick Stage entered a coast phase. Approximately 56 minutes after liftoff, the seven Make it Rain payloads were deployed to their precise individual orbits.
This morning’s mission was Rocket Lab’s third of 2019. Among the satellites on board were the BlackSky Global-3, two US Special Operations Command Prometheus satellites, the Melbourne Space Program’s ACRUX-1, and two Swarm Technologies SpaceBEE satellites. Additionally, the mission carried a classified payload for an undisclosed customer.
The launch was procured and managed by Spaceflight, a satellite rideshare and mission management provider. Previous Spaceflight missions have included the launch of the first privately funded lunar lander aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and the launch of 12 satellites aboard India’s PSLV C43 launch.
