https://ift.tt/wehQb71
Rocket Lab Launches First Vehicle from U.S. Soil https://ift.tt/jzT7MDf According to what may be the only market research report on the topic, “3D Printing in Commercial Space: The AM Ecosystem in the Private Space Industry” from SmarTech Analysis, the overall value of 3D printed parts for private space is projected to reach $2.1 billion by 2026. Among the earliest pioneers in the space is Rocket Lab. The New Zealand-based firm has not only gone on to launch a North American branch, Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), but has just launched its first vehicle from U.S. soil. At 6 pm EST on January 24, 2023, what was dubbed the “Virginia is for Launch Lovers” mission took off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. While it was the company’s first U.S. launch, it was actually the 33rd rocket launched by Rocket Lab in total, with its very first occurring in 2017. Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle is powered by a total of 10 Rutherford propulsion systems, which the company describes as “the world’s first 3D-printed, electric-pump-fed rocket engine.” This includes prop valves, injectors, pumps, and engine chambers that are all 3D printed with electron beam melting technology. With its first U.S. launch, the Electron deployed three satellites to a 550 km orbit for HawkEye 360, a leading radio frequency (RF) geospatial analytics provider. This marks a total of 155 satellites sent into space by Rocket Lab. The success of the mission means that the Kiwi company can now kick off its increasingly large U.S. presence with 12 missions per year, which makes for a total of over 130 missions annually when combined with its Launch Complex 1 operations in New Zealand.
The mission also featured the first use of NASA Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (NAFTU), which provides a common system for flight termination for launch vehicles. Rocket Lab itself has used its own autonomous flight termination system since 2019, but NAFTU can be used with a variety of launch providers. This technology is said to make it cheaper and faster to launch small satellites by widening launch windows, shrinking launch safety corridors, and reducing reliance on ground-based systems.
Now that the launch is complete, Rocket Lab will work to deliver 15 HawkEye satellites into low Earth orbit across three total missions. With a growing constellation of RF monitoring satellites, the company will be able to more effectively deliver precise geolocation of RF emissions. Thanks to its 2021 acquisition of Planetary Systems Corporation, Rocket Lab will also be able to provide HawkEye with separation systems, reinforcing Rocket Lab’s vertical integration strategy. The bigger picture for Rocket Lab’s Virginia location is making it the home for the company’s larger launch vehicle, Neutron. The company will be building, testing, launching, and landing the rocket at the Wallops Flight Facility. Construction of the Neutron Production Complex is already underway. The new space sector has proven that additive manufacturing (AM) is essentially critical to its progress, resulting in a large proliferation of 3D printing focused companies. This also means that investors are seeing the technology’s capabilities. In the case of Rocket Lab, the two major holders of RKLB stock are VK Services, LLC (15.8 percent), a unit of Khosla Ventures, and Deer Management Co. LLC (13.7 percent), a unit of Bessemer Venture Partners. They are followed by the usual players: Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street, who own 4.55 percent, 4.51 percent, and 2.88 percent respectively. While Rocket Lab has previously stated that the Rutherford relies on electron beam melting, it’s interesting to note that both Khosla and Bessemer also own significant portions of Velo3D stock, with Deer Management taking 20.31 percent and VK Services taking 16.28 percent. Both companies supported Velo3D and Rocket Lab ahead of their SPAC IPOs. This is important because Velo3D has had a tight relationship with SpaceX in the past and is currently a supplier to Launcher, which both compete and collaborate in the same space as Rocket Lab. The post Rocket Lab Launches First Vehicle from U.S. Soil appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/rTKMgDN January 30, 2023 at 08:55AM
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Archives
April 2023
|