Rocket Lab Prepares To Launch First Electron Rocket From US Platform

The Electronic Rocket is ready to be launched from NASA's Wallops Aviation Facility in Virginia. (photo: Twitter @RocketLab)

JAKARTA - The private space flight company, Rocket Lab, has announced the debut schedule for the launch of the Electron rocket mission from US soil. The "Virginia Is For Launch Lovers" mission will lift off on January 23, 2023, from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

If successful, the mission will deploy three radio frequency monitoring satellites into low orbit for the Virginia-based company HawkEye 360, the first of 15 satellites to be used by Rocket Lab in 2024. This first mission was originally scheduled for launch in December 2022 but was postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions.

After 32 launches from our pads at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, this month Electron is set to take to the sky from our U.S. launch pad at @NASA_Wallops for the first time.

Learn about the "Virginia is for Launch Lovers" mission: https://t.co/hG2avrAM9y

📸 @TheFavoritist pic.twitter.com/npgnCMI6ST

— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) January 11, 2023

“Electron has made history by becoming the most launched small orbit rocket globally,” said Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck in a press release quoted by The Verge. "With the support of our partners at NASA and Virginia Space, we look forward to building on this strong legacy of mission success with the first of many missions from Wallops."

California-based Rocket Lab has launched 152 small satellites from the company's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand since 2017. The delivery system, its orbital Electron rocket, has flown more than 30 orbit missions to date.

The company specifically tried to capture one of Electron's airborne rockets last year using a helicopter in an effort to reduce production costs by reusing equipment. Although technically successful in capturing the rocket, helicopters later dropped it into the sea.

A live stream of the rocket launch will be available starting approximately 40 minutes before liftoff on the Rocket Lab website.