Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company and launch service provider, specializing in small satellite launches with its Electron rocket, which has launched 63 times as of April 2025. They are also developing the larger Neutron rocket for constellation deployment. Rocket Lab provides complete space solutions including satellite design and manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management, serving commercial, civil, and defense markets, with major partners including NASA and the US Space Force. Key products include the Electron and Neutron rockets, Photon satellite bus, and various satellite components.
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Rocket Lab’s operations team is responsible for daily spacecraft health and status monitoring, payload tasking, and trajectory control between the Mandrake-2 spacecraft to support optical cross-link testing.
Both Mandrake-2 spacecraft were developed and launch-ready in nine months, with final testing at Rocket Lab’s Colorado facility prior to shipment to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Rocket Lab operates three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site in New Zealand and a launch site in Virginia, USA.
NROL-162 and NROL-199 are the third and fourth RASR missions contracted to Rocket Lab by the National Reconnaissance Office.
Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 includes multiple launch pads, a dedicated range, and mission control centres to support responsive space capability.
Advanced Solutions Inc. (ASI) is a Colorado-based aerospace engineering firm acquired by Rocket Lab in October 2021.
Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle and the Photon satellite platform.
NROL-162 and NROL-199 are missions awarded to Rocket Lab under the NRO’s Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR) contract.
NROL-199 (Antipodean Adventure) is scheduled to launch from Pad B at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on 2022-07-22.
Rocket Lab supported the Mandrake-2 mission through its team at Advanced Solutions Inc. (ASI).
Rocket Lab is developing the Neutron launch vehicle with an 8-ton payload class.
Since launch, the Mandrake-2 spacecraft have been operated from the Rocket Lab Operations Center in Littleton, Colorado.
Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars and the first private commercial mission to Venus.
Rocket Lab launched RASR-1 and RASR-2 in 2020 under the Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR) contract.
NROL-162 and NROL-199 are the third and fourth missions awarded to Rocket Lab by the National Reconnaissance Office under the Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR) contract.
The NRO worked with the New Zealand Space Agency, which licensed Rocket Lab’s launch of NROL-162.
Rocket Lab launched the NROL-162 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office on 2022-07-13 from the company’s launch complex in New Zealand.
CAPSTONE launched on 2022-06-28 aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron vehicle attached to Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon spacecraft.
CAPSTONE’s deployment followed six days of orbit-raising burns around Earth aboard Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon spacecraft bus.
Rocket Lab operates Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 with multiple pads including Pad A and Pad B.