Rocket Lab, a prominent player in the field of launch and space systems, proudly announces the debut of its comprehensive family of spacecraft buses. This unveiling marks a significant milestone, as Rocket Lab consolidates its bespoke designs crafted over the years for diverse customers and missions. The culmination of over four years of dedicated development, this spacecraft lineup showcases Rocket Lab’s prowess in advancing space systems capabilities.
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. is proud to introduce its expanded family of spacecraft, a testament to the company’s commitment to providing reliable, high-performance solutions quickly and affordably. Founder and CEO Peter Beck expressed the company’s dedication to meeting customer needs, stating, “Photon was the start, but the Rocket Lab spacecraft family has grown.”
Designed through close collaboration with customers, the spacecraft family offers a configurable line delivering high performance at scale. This achievement is supported by a seasoned team, technical maturity, a vertically integrated supply chain, and state-of-the-art manufacturing, test, and operations facilities. These spacecraft are now available as off-the-shelf products or can be customized for specific mission requirements.
Rocket Lab emphasizes vertical integration, allowing the company to deliver spacecraft rapidly and cost-effectively using flight-proven components. Brad Clevenger, Vice President of Space Systems, highlights the balance between commonality for cost-effective production and configurability to suit unique mission profiles.
Rocket Lab Unveils Diverse Spacecraft Lineup:
- Photon: As Rocket Lab’s inaugural spacecraft, Photon represents the company’s integrated launch-plus-spacecraft solution. This modified Electron Kick Stage combines power, propulsion, and communications, creating a versatile low Earth orbit (LEO) platform for civil, defense, and commercial missions. With a mass ranging from 200-300kg, the Photon is launched on Electron, catering to responsive space endeavors, including cryogenic fuel demonstration. It leverages precision orbit insertion, launch on demand, and the industry’s lowest launch environments.
- Lightning: Rocket Lab introduces its latest spacecraft bus, designed for an impressive 12+ year orbital lifespan in LEO. Boasting high power and radiation tolerance, this ~3 kW bus incorporates redundancy in critical subsystems. Lightning proves ideal for high operational duty cycle applications such as telecommunications and remote sensing. Launchable on Neutron and other medium to heavy launch vehicles, Lightning draws inspiration from the same design used for custom spacecraft developed for MDA and Globalstar, forming the foundation for the Company’s bus for the Space Development Agency.
- Pioneer: Positioned as a highly configurable medium delta-V platform, Pioneer supports payloads up to 120 kg and accommodates unique mission profiles. This spacecraft is adaptable for diverse operations, including re-entry missions for Varda Space Industries. Depending on the mission profile, Pioneer can be launched on Electron, Neutron, or other compatible launch vehicles.
- Explorer: Engineered for high delta-V missions, Explorer features large propellant tanks, deep space-capable avionics, and ranging transponders. Enabling small spacecraft missions to planetary destinations like Mars, Venus, the Moon, and various orbits, Explorer offers versatility. Depending on the mission profile, it can be launched on Electron, Neutron, or other suitable launch vehicles. Explorer’s flight heritage includes the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon for NASA and serves as the basis for twin spacecraft developed for the ESCAPADE mission to Mars in collaboration with NASA and the University of California, Berkeley.
All members of Rocket Lab’s spacecraft family are currently in production for diverse customers, with over 40 satellites in backlog. To streamline the rapid production of this spacecraft family, Rocket Lab has established an advanced spacecraft development and manufacturing complex at its Long Beach headquarters. This facility spans over 10,000 sq. ft. of cleanroom space and an additional 40,000 sq. ft. of production and test facilities, specifically designed to support constellation-class manufacturing and satellite assembly, integration, and testing for commercial, civil, and national security customers.
Learn more about Rocket Lab’s family of spacecraft here.
www.rocketlabusa.com/spacecraft
+ About Rocket Lab
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle and the Photon satellite platform and is developing the Neutron 13-ton payload class launch vehicle. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 177 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia, USA. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.