The two contracts will see the space launch services company supply 80 Lightband Separation Systems (Lightbands) to the manufacturers of the satellites, one of which is Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor involved.
These Lightbands are separation systems that are used to attach satellites to rockets and release them in space once the rocket reaches its intended orbit.
They have previously been used on NASA International Space Station and Space Shuttle missions, for example.
“The Tranche 1 Transport Layer will provide crucial capabilities for the National Defense Space Architecture and we’re proud to be delivering the separation systems that will deploy these spacecraft precisely and accurately,” said Brad Clevenger, Rocket Labs’ vp of space systems.
“Being selected by not one but two companies building spacecraft for the SDA’s Transport Layer is a real vote of confidence in our Lightbands which have delivered 100% mission success for more than 100 separations on orbit.”
Rocket Lab’s separation systems were in fact designed by Planetary Systems Corp, which was acquired by the company in 2021.
Compared to typical clamp band separation systems, Rocket Lab says its Lightbands are lighter weight, have a lower profile, shock and tip-off rate.
Part of the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA), SDA’s Transport Layer aims to provide resilient, low-latency military data and connectivity worldwide to a full range of warfighter platforms.
T1TL consists of a mesh network of 126 optically-interconnected space vehicles and is intended to form the initial warfighting capability tranche of the NDSA.
Electron
The company is also scheduled to launch its first Electron mission from Virginia in the U.S. during a launch window opening 7 December.
The mission – dubbed “Virginia is for Launch Lovers” – will deploy satellites for RF geospatial analytics provider HawkEye 360.
It will be Rocket Lab’s first lift-off from Launch Complex 2 at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. This is a launch pad developed to support Electron missions from U.S. soil for government and commercial customers.
The launch window has been set following recent progress by NASA in certifying its Autonomous Flight Termination Unit (NAFTU) software, which is required to enable Electron launches from Virginia.
See also: Rocket Lab to buy space solar power specialist SolAero
