The autonomous leader in building small rockets is evolving its business with a service that may well revolutionize how spacecraft are manufactured, be it by start-ups or even the military. Rocket Lab has taken its next leap announcing today, it will offer an in-house satellite platform that can be launched from its Electron vehicle.
As the global leader in small satellite launch, Rocket Lab now delivers an integrated spacecraft build and launch service. The end-to-end mission solution enables small satellite customers to focus on achieving their service from orbit and generating revenue, rather than creating their satellite hardware.
As the turn-key solution completes for small satellite missions, Rocket Lab brings space within such easy reach that enables our customers to focus on their payload and mission – we look after the rest – Peter Beck, Rocket Lab Founder, and Chief Executive Officer
Photon will give satellite companies a new variation for testing and operating technologies in space. Earlier, a satellite company that wants to launch a sensor for imaging or analytics had to build its own hardware to the house and also power that technology. But with this new Rocket Lab’s Photon, it will give satellite technologies an option that will reduce the cost and risk involved with building a spacecraft.
Introducing Photon – the Rocket Lab satellite. As an integrated spacecraft builder and launch provider, we're enabling small satellite operators to focus on delivering data and services from space, rather than building their own hardware. Learn more: https://t.co/NfxcAGuobk pic.twitter.com/fzVLjNzks4
— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) April 8, 2019
The company labeled Photon a highly-evolved version of the company’s kick stage. This Rocket Lab has successfully used four times to deliver payloads to specific orbits.
Rocket Lab already has two customers lined up to use the Photon – one commercial operator and one from the government. The company plans to do its first demonstration flight of the Photon system later this year, but there won’t be any commercial missions of the satellite since Rocket Lab’s manifest is fully booked for 2019.
