WELLINGTON, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand-based Rocket Lab has successfully launched NASA CubeSats to orbit on first ever Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) mission.
Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle successfully lifted off on Sunday from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula. By 56 minutes into the mission, the 13 satellites on board were individually deployed to their precise, designated orbits, a Rocket Lab statement said on Monday.
Until now, launch opportunities for small satellites have mostly been limited to rideshare-type arrangements, flying only when space is available on large launch vehicles. This mission, awarded under NASA's VCLS agreement, marked the first time NASA CubeSats received a dedicated ride to orbit on a commercial launch vehicle, the statement said.
The mission, designated Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa)-19, took place just over a month after Rocket Lab's last successful orbital launch. It has launched a total of 24 satellites to orbit in 2018, according to the company.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said the ELaNa-19 mission represents a forward-thinking approach from NASA to acquiring launch services and recognizes the increasingly significant role small satellites are playing in exploration, technology demonstration, research and education.
"The ELaNa-19 mission was a significant one for NASA, the Rocket Lab team and the small satellite industry overall," Beck said, adding, "To launch two missions just five weeks apart, and in the first year of orbital flights, is unprecedented. It's exactly what the small satellite industry desperately needs, and Rocket Lab is proud to be delivering it."
The next Rocket Lab Electron vehicle will be on the pad at Launch Complex 1 in January 2019.
