WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab launched the first in a new generation of imaging satellites for BlackSky Feb. 18 at almost the same time SpaceX achieved a new milestone in recovery of Falcon 9 boosters.
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket lifted off from Pad B at the company’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 6:17 p.m. Eastern. The payload for the “Fasten Your Space Belts” mission, a BlackSky imaging satellite, deployed from the kick stage about 55 minutes later, with a planned circular orbit of 470 kilometers at an inclination of 59 degrees.
The spacecraft is the first Gen-3 satellite for BlackSky’s imaging constellation. The Gen-3 satellites can provide imagery at a resolution of 35 centimeters as well as perform observations at short-wave infrared wavelengths that can penetrate smoke and haze. The satellites also have optical intersatellite links to decrease latency.
“This launch represents a major inflection point for our global defense and intelligence customer base as BlackSky introduces very high-resolution Gen-3 capabilities to our high-frequency, low-latency monitoring constellation,” Brian O’Toole, chief executive of BlackSky, said in a Feb. 10 release about the upcoming launch.
He added that BlackSky planned “a regular cadence of additional launches over the coming year” but did not offer specifics. BlackSky signed a contract in August 2023 for five Electron launches.
This was the second Electron launch of the year and the 60th for the vehicle overall. The company has not disclosed a projected number of Electron launches for the year beyond estimating it will be more than the 16 Electron missions in 2024. The company said on its launch webcast that the next Electron launch was planned from New Zealand in “a few short weeks.”
Rocket Lab is scheduled to release financial results for 2024, which may include projections for 2025, on Feb. 27.
SpaceX lands in the Bahamas
While the Electron carrying the BlackSky satellite was still on its way to orbit, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:21 p.m. Eastern. The rocket deployed its payload of 23 Starlink satellites about 65 minutes later.
The notable aspect of this launch was that the Falcon 9 first stage performed a droneship landing in waters near the Exuma Islands in The Bahamas. It marked the first time SpaceX conducted a landing there and the first Falcon 9 booster landing in the waters of another country.
SpaceX said landing the booster in The Bahamas opens up new trajectories for Falcon 9 launches from Florida. That includes the upcoming Fram2 private astronaut mission, which will fly to polar orbit. It also provides alternative landing locations for launches in the winter months when weather conditions in the North Atlantic can be unfavorable.
“This is significant for The Bahamas in so many ways,” Isaac Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister of the country, said during the SpaceX webcast of the launch. He argued that the landing gave the country a foothold in the aerospace industry and provide both educational outreach and tourism opportunities.
“We recognize that safety is put first and foremost. We’ve ensured that we’ve done the due diligence and we’ve done our work to deliver this first international landing,” he said, an apparent reference to some criticism in the country about safety and environmental concerns about the booster landing.
The launch was the 21st this year of the Falcon 9. SpaceX has stated a goal of performing as many as 180 Falcon launches this year.
