Rocket Lab USA has successfully launched its first Electron mission in 2024, dedicated to solving the problem of space debris. As part of the Four Of A Kind mission for clients Spire Global and NorthStar Earth & Space, the Electron rocket delivered four Space Surveillance Awareness (SSA) satellites into Earth orbit.
These satellites will be used to track and control near-Earth objects, providing information about their orbit, preventing collisions and assisting in navigation.
This mission was the 43rd launch of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket and set a new record for the number of successfully launched satellites, which now stands at 176. This launch kicks off a busy year for Rocket Lab, which plans to launch more satellites than ever before.
The mission’s achievement was the successful return of the first stage of the Electron rocket as part of Rocket Lab’s plan to create a reusable rocket. After launching and separating the stage, it returned to Earth by parachute and was brought down in the Pacific Ocean 17 minutes later. The stage is currently undergoing recovery operations to test and analyze it before reuse in future missions.
