Launch News [SUCCESS] Electron | DARPA R3D2 | March 26, 2019 22:30:00 UTC

IronRain

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I'm going to try to be more up-to-date with launch updates again, starting with the DARPA R3D2 launch on Electron.

Radio Frequency Risk Reduction Deployment Demonstration (R3D2) is a mission for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). It will test a prototype reflect array antenna which is intended to improve radio communications in small spacecraft.

Liftoff is reschedueled to March 26, 2019 22:30:00 UTC

r3d2_art1.jpg


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbcc5SmUu-Q"]YouTube[/ame]

Sources:
- https://spaceflightnewsapi.net/
- http://launchlibrary.net/
 
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Rocket Lab’s launch team canceled a launch attempt Sunday in New Zealand after discovering a misbehaving video transmitter on the Electron booster set to loft a small U.S. military satellite into orbit to test an innovative antenna design. Engineers rescheduled the mission for Tuesday (U.S. time).

The U.S.-New Zealand launch company announced the delay as the Electron counted down to a targeted liftoff time of 7:36 p.m. EDT (2336 GMT) Sunday.

“The team has identified a video transmitter 13dB down with low performance,” Rocket Lab tweeted. “It’s not an issue for flight, but we want to understand why, so we’re waiving off for the day.”

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab’s founder and CEO, added that the rocket was “technically good to fly, as we have redundant links, but we don’t know why the performance dropped and that makes me uncomfortable.”

In an update a few hours later, Rocket Lab said crews aim to replace the suspect video transmitter in time for a second launch attempt Tuesday (U.S. time). The four-hour launch window Tuesday will open at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT).

Source:
- https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/03/...arpas-r3d2-satellite-rescheduled-for-tuesday/
 

IronRain

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Rocket Lab launches dedicated DARPA mission on Electron

Rocket Lab is aiming for a rapid launch cadence in 2019, and begun that campaign with the first Electron launch of the year. The window to launch the R3D2 mission for DARPA was to open on Sunday at 22:30 UTC for four hours. However, a scrub was called for at least 48 hours due to a “video transmitter 13dB down with low performance” – while forecasted high winds moved the launch two days to the right, to Thursday. That attempt proved successful with an ontime launch.

The Radio Frequency Risk Reduction Deployment Demonstration satellite is a technology demonstration mission for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the United States government’s military technology development agency. The mission was the first Electron launch dedicated to a single satellite on board, lofting the 150 kg spacecraft into a circular orbit, inclined 39.5 degrees, at an altitude of 425 km.

 
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