Rocket Lab Reports Confirmation Of Next Electron Launch Window Opens For BlackSky As Apr. 1, 2022
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:RKLB) (“Rocket Lab”), a leading launch and space systems company, has today announced the launch window for its next Electron mission, a dedicated mission for BlackSky (NYSE:BKSY) through global launch services provider Spaceflight Inc., begins April 1, 2022 UTC. This launch window opening in April rather than March is weather related and will result in this mission and its related revenue being recognized in Rocket Lab’s fiscal Q2 2022, versus in fiscal Q1 2022 as was previously anticipated at the time Rocket Lab provided Q1 2022 financial guidance in conjunction with its Q4 2021 preliminary earnings release on February 28, 2022. As a result, Rocket Lab is updating its expected Q1 2022 revenue outlook from the range of $42 million to $47 million previously provided on February 28, 2022, to approximately $40 million.
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Without Mission A Beat Fairing (Photo: Business Wire)
The “Without Mission A Beat” launch is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 1 Pad A carrying a pair of BlackSky rapid-revisit, high-resolution Earth-imaging satellites to low Earth orbit, which will expand BlackSky’s constellation to 14 satellites. Rocket Lab has delivered the majority of BlackSky’s constellation to orbit on Electron missions since 2019.
“Without Mission A Beat” will be Rocket Lab’s 25th Electron launch and will bring the total number of satellites launched by the company to 112. Rocket Lab will not be attempting to recover Electron for this mission.
Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck says: “We’re looking forward to again providing BlackSky and Spaceflight with another dedicated Electron mission that delivers the flexibility they need to meet the unique requirements of BlackSky’s capacity-on-demand constellation. We’re proud to continue our partnership with them and look forward to helping them grow their constellation with this next mission.”
“Without Mission A Beat” launch details:
- Launch Window Opens: April 1, UTC
- Launch vehicle: Electron
- Customer: BlackSky through Spaceflight Inc
- Launch site: Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Pad A
- Number of Payloads: Two
- Destination: 430km circular low Earth orbit
- Electron Recovery Mission: No
