Rocket Lab - 'Beginning Of The Swarm' Launch

Mission Name: Beginning of the Swarm

Launch Date: 24 April, 2024 NZT

Launch Site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia, New Zealand

Customers: NASA and KAIST

Payloads (Satellites) Launched:

• NEONSAT-1 will perform Earth-observation of the Korean Peninsula for KAIST, which will then pair the satellite’s data with artificial intelligence to monitor for natural disasters in the region. NEONSAT-1 is the first of 11 satellites for KAIST’s planned constellation to image the Korean Peninsula several times daily.

• The second satellite deployed was NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, which is a technology demonstration of new materials that use sunlight to propel a spacecraft. Much like a sailboat is powered by wind pushing against a sail, solar sails employ the pressure of sunlight for propulsion. This mission plans to test how well new composite booms unfurl the sail from the spacecraft – which is about the size of a toaster – to an area about the size of a small apartment. Data from this mission will be used for designing future larger-scale composite solar sail systems for space weather early warning satellites, asteroid and other small body reconnaissance missions, and missions to observe the polar regions of the sun.

[eamonia]

I swear, I'm gonna be 80 years old and still cheer every time I see a rocket go to space. Go Rocket Lab!

[leonmusk]

Well it's been 15 years since I first met Peter at my 35th birthday in sumner now I'm about to hit 50 and he's had nearly a launch to orbit for every year I've been alive. Well done peter and crew and extra good job on the double injection to orbit. That is one hella productive fifteen years :)

[thedarkside]

44:28 - T-3/lift off,
46:58 - Meco/Stage separation,
47:38 - Fairing separation,
50:52 - Battery hot swap,
53:38 - Seco,
1:34:50 - Payload one deployment.

Thanks!

[iward]

Quite the steady drumbeat of successes and new innovations from these guys. Go Rocket Lab!!

[Mark_Kiwi]

Congrats to the team at RKLB . You are doing NZ proud

[johndoepker]

I absolutely LOVE this rocket !!! Go Electron!! GO RocketLab !!!! 🤟

[RayLabs]

Got to watch if on the SpaceflightNow feed after todays SpaceX launch. Your launch was very impressive. Well done and I hope to catch more launches in the future.

[solarheat]

Good job Rocket Lab. Way to go. Don't worry about your stock price. Time will take care of that.

[cenoles]

Always fascinating! Grew up in SW Fla … watched so many 🚀 launches in the late 60s early 70s .. rocket ships and space shuttles ! Kennedy Space Center is so interesting… never gets old! To infinity and beyond

[peterarmstrong]

SpaceX ride-share can’t do a 2 satellite deployment at two different altitudes. Nice orbital gymnastics RocketLab, well done.

[profcpbl]

Deorbiting the kick stage to keep orbit clean?? Thank you, awesome Rocket Lab!

[rustyone]

Loving the beats when the launch was on hold🚀🚀

[kelz]

I love my piece of paradise, Aotearoa NZ!
❣

[nzldudeDNB]

Nice work with the two different payload altitudes. Can we please have more onboard footage

[CombatKHandler]

Awesome job, everyone. Keep up with the outstanding work.

[FutureAIDev]

How in the world do they come up with this amazing background music for these project highlight animations? 😲

[nountolearn]

🚀 a great story to share with students 😎

[rodforder]

I am 80 years old, and I still get emotional watching the launch. I am so proud to be a New Zealander.

[mauricioquintero]

Space X launches: 💥💀
Rocket Lab launches: 🚀🌕

[beJT]

51:35 - whats the bright dot? lens artifact or small hole?