Rocket Lab Launches US Space Force Mission with Less than 17 Hours' Notice
The mission will test rapid rendezvous and proximity operations after Rocket Lab beat the previous TacRS record by more than 10 hours, officials said.
- On June 19, Rocket Lab launched its Electron rocket carrying the Pioneer spacecraft for the United States Space Force's VICTUS HAZE mission from New Zealand, establishing a new responsive space access standard.
- Part of the Tactically Responsive Space program, the mission culminates the 'crawl, walk, run' phase of on-orbit demonstrations, aiming to transform responsive launch into an operational military capability.
- Rocket Lab achieved a 16-hour, 42-minute notice-to-launch time and fully activated the $32 million Pioneer spacecraft within 37 hours, 36 minutes, beating the strict 72-hour deadline by over 34 hours.
- Once in orbit, Pioneer began Rendezvous and Proximity Operations with True Anomaly's Jackal-004 spacecraft, simulating a rapid threat-response scenario in low Earth orbit.
- Providing vital space domain awareness for national security, the space-as-a-service capability allows the U.S. to rapidly reinforce national security architecture against potential adversaries in contested orbits.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Rocket Lab launches US Space Force mission with less than 17 hours' notice
Rocket Lab has successfully launched the second spacecraft for the U.S. Space Force's Victus Haze Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) mission, setting a new readiness record in the process. Only 16 hours and 42 minutes passed between Rocket Lab receiving the Notice To Launch from the Space Force's Space Safari Program Office and liftoff of the company's Electron launch vehicle, beating the previous TacRS record set by Firefly Aerospace on the Se…
Space Force, Rocket Lab demonstrate speedy launch in Victus Haze mission
Rocket Lab successfully launched a satellite within 17 hours of receiving notice from the Space Force as part of its Victus Haze Tactically Responsive Space mission, the company announced. Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket launched a Pioneer spacecraft Friday from the company’s launch complex in New Zealand. Along with System Delta 89 Space Safari, Rocket Lab will complete checkout for the satellite before continuing onto the next phase of Victus Haz…
Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) Shatters Space Force Launch Record But Stock Continues To Slide Amid Broader Space Selloff
Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) shares slipped an additional 3% overnight Monday, extending a decline that saw the stock fall more than 6% during the regular trading session. The two-day losing streak came despite Rocket Lab completing what the U.S. Space Force confirmed as a record-breaking tactically responsive launch mission, delivering its Electron rocket to orbit in just 16 hours and 42 minutes. The mission, called Victus Haze, launched from Rock…
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