Jane Edwards
Rocket Lab USA will launch an Electron vehicle to support the Space Test Program-S30 mission under a task order awarded by the U.S. Space Force.
STP-S30 will deploy to orbit technology demonstrations and research experiments for the Department of Defense and support future development of space systems, Rocket Lab said Monday.
The Electron rocket’s primary payload is DISKSat, which will assess a satellite bus designed to improve on-orbit persistence while demonstrating sustained flight in very low Earth orbit.
“Flexible, responsive, and reliable launch is critical to ensuring resilient space capabilities for the nation and we’re proud to deliver it to the Space Force once again with Electron,” said Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab.
The STP-S30 mission is part of Orbital Services Program-4 and is under Space Systems Command’s Assured Access to Space organization. The task order is worth approximately $14.5 million.
The Electron rocket for STP-S30 will lift off from Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
In 2019, eight companies won positions on the potential $986 million OSP-4 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for space launch mission support.
Rocket Lab used Electron to support Space Force missions, including the launch of the Monolith demonstration satellite in 2021 and the STP-27RD mission research and development satellite for DOD in 2019.
