Rocket Lab USA Deploys 2 Satellites to Separate Orbits for NASA, KAIST

Rocket Lab‘s U.S. subsidiary has deployed two satellites to different orbits approximately 500 km apart using its Electron rocket for NASA and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

Electron’s 47th mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, carrying the NEONSAT-1 payload developed by KAIST and the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System from NASA, Rocket Lab USA said Tuesday.

The rocket first deployed the NEONSAT-1 payload to a 520 km circular Earth orbit before sending NASA’s ACS3 satellite to a higher circular orbit at 1,000 km.

KAIST’s NEONSAT-1 nanosatellite will monitor natural disasters on the Korean Peninsula and is the first of 11 satellites of the institute’s planned Earth observation constellation.

NASA’s ACS3 miniature satellite will demonstrate deployable structures and materials technologies for solar sail propulsion systems that could power spacecraft.

Electron deployed the satellites to two separate orbits during the same launch using its Kick Stage capability.