Rocket Lab experiences postponement of 2nd US launch due to weather conditions

 Rocket Lab experiences postponement of 2nd US launch due to weather conditions 

Rocket Lab is expected to launch its second U.S. Electron mission through alternative windows in the coming week after postponing the scheduled launch due to unfavorable wind conditions on Saturday (March 11). Once a new launch date is chosen, viewers can witness the launch live on Space.com or via the company itself. The "Stronger Together" mission, which involves the Electron booster launching from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, was delayed after unacceptable winds were recorded over the launch site. NASA Wallops officials claim that people living along the East Coast of the US can potentially view the launch from Maine to Georgia, as well as Ohio if the weather permits.

Capella Space, a San Francisco-based company, has commissioned the 59-foot-tall (18 meters) Electron to carry two synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites into orbit. These satellites will be deployed into a circular orbit 370 miles (600 kilometers) above the Earth approximately 57.5 minutes after lift-off. The SAR constellation is capable of providing customers with detailed imagery of the Earth during the day and night, as well as in all weather conditions. The goal is to allow organizations to make informed decisions with the highest quality and highest resolution SAR imagery commercially available with the fastest order-to-delivery time, according to Rocket Lab representatives.

Rocket Lab has had 33 orbital missions using the two-stage Electron to date, with all but one from its Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The sole outlier was the "Virginia Is for Launch Lovers" flight that launched from Wallops on January 24th of this year. However, it is expected that the Wallops site, known as Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 2 (LC-2), will regularly host launches in the future. LC-2 is designed to meet the responsive space needs of commercial, civil, defense, and national security clients, supporting up to 12 missions per year, as per Rocket Lab's statement.

Rocket Lab has also been working to make the expendable Electron's first stage reusable, and the company has previously recovered boosters on several missions. On one occasion, they used a helicopter to pick up a falling rocket out of the sky. However, there will be no such attempt for recovery on the "Stronger Together" mission, according to the mission press kit.