Rocket Lab launched the Radio Frequency Risk Reduction Deployment Demonstration (R3D2) satellite for DARPA in 2019.
Rocket Lab launched the R3D2 spacecraft on 2019-03-28.
Rocket Lab’s Electron launched DARPA’s R3D2 satellite in March 2019.
Northrop Grumman built the R3D2 satellite for DARPA that launched on 2019-03-28 on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket to demonstrate deployment of a large antenna from a small satellite.
Rocket Lab successfully launched the Radio Frequency Risk Reduction Deployment Demonstration (R3D2) satellite for DARPA on 2019-03-28.
The 2019-03-28 R3D2 launch was the first Electron mission of 2019 and was delayed by about a month because of payload readiness.
Rocket Lab planned the R3D2 mission as the first of 12 launches the company expected to carry out in 2019.
R3D2 will deploy a Kapton membrane that will expand to a diameter of 2.25 m to demonstrate small-satellite large deployable antenna capability.
Blue Canyon Technologies provided the satellite bus for R3D2.
Once in orbit, R3D2 will deploy a Kapton membrane that will expand to a diameter of 2.25 m to demonstrate small satellites can carry large deployable antennas for high-bandwidth communications.
The R3D2 launch is scheduled to take place between 2019-03-16 and 2019-03-30 (U.S. time) with four-hour daily windows from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Eastern.
Rocket Lab plans to perform 12 launches in 2019, with the R3D2 mission as the first.
R3D2 will test deployable antenna technologies by deploying a Kapton membrane that will expand to a diameter of 2.25 m in orbit.
MMA Design is providing the antenna for the R3D2 spacecraft and Blue Canyon Technologies is providing the satellite bus.