Monolith

The Electron rocket tested at LC-2 will be used for the launch of Monolith, an Air Force Research Laboratory smallsat intended to demonstrate the ability to deploy a large-aperture payload for space weather monitoring.

Monolith will provide a platform to test future space protection capabilities.

On July 29, 2021, the mission achieved payload deployment and was declared a mission success with Monolith admitted to orbit.

The payload for the mission was an Air Force Research Laboratory-sponsored research and development satellite called Monolith.

Rocket Lab announced in December that the Monolith payload would be the first to launch from the new LC-2 pad and that the pad had been scheduled for use in the second quarter of 2020.

Rocket Lab’s Electron two stages performed normally and the kick stage deployed the Monolith satellite 52 minutes after liftoff into a 600-kilometer orbit at an inclination of 37 degrees.