Proactive Investors - Rocket Lab USA Inc (NASDAQ:RKLB), the American aerospace manufacturer and small satellite launch service provider, successfully launched a third batch of NASA weather-tracking satellites into space from New Zealand overnight.
The company's Electron two-stage rocket blasted off at 9:27pm Eastern Time, after the 'Baby Come Back' mission was postponed from July 14.
Shares in Rocket Lab rose 9% on Monday and were pointing higher in pre-market trading on Tuesday.
Four NASA Starling 6U shoebox-sized cubesats were deployed, followed by two cubesats owned by Spire Global Inc (NYSE:SPIR) and, at a higher orbit, the largest payload, Telesat’s LEO 3 satellite, was deployed an hour and 45 minutes after liftoff.
On Tuesday morning, Rocket Lab’s seventh booster was recovered at sea after two failed to be captured aerially, as the company works towards making Electron reusable.
Successful Launch? ✅Payloads deployed for @NASA, @SpireGlobal, & @SFL_SmallerSats? ✅
Electron booster successfully recovered? ✅
We call that MISSION SUCCESS for Electron's 39th launch! pic.twitter.com/Fs44BS5sES
— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) July 18, 2023
“With this mission we’ve made big strides toward reusability with Electron and we are now closer than ever to relaunching a booster for the first time,” said founder and CEO Peter Beck.
Rocket Lab previously deployed its first NASA satellites in May.
Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, the Long Beach, California company’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched US rocket annually. The company has delivered 161 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations.
Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus.
The company said it is preparing to launch its 40th Electron mission before the end of the month.