Christine Thropp
Rocket Lab USA will hold two Electron rocket launches to send to space two national security missions for the National Reconnaissance Office under the agency’s Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket contract.
An Electron rocket carrying a payload for NROL-162 mission dubbed “Wise One Looks Ahead” will lift off from the Pad A of Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 no earlier than July 12 while the second mission called NROL-199 or “Antipodean Adventure” will be delivered from Pad B no earlier than July 22, the launch services provider said Tuesday.
NRO, with help from the Australian defense department, will manage the NROL-162 and NROL-199 satellites to support the monitoring of international issues.
Remarking on Rocket Lab’s offering of rockets and multiple pads to support national security missions, Peter Beck, CEO and founder of Rocket Lab, said, “Space plays such a critical role in providing immediate insights and informing time-sensitive decisions, so a responsive, modern approach accessing orbit is crucial.”
