ROCKETLAB LAUNCHES JAPANESE COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE INTO ORBIT. (PHOTO).
RocketLab launches Japanese communications satellite into orbit Rocket Lab successfully launched a technology demonstration satellite for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on Saturday. The mission marked the 77th flight of the Electron rocket, deploying JAXA’s Rapid Innovation Payload Demonstration Satellite 4, or RAISE 4, into a low-Earth orbit approximately 325 miles above the Earth, about 55 minutes after liftoff. The launch took place from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex in New Zealand at 10:09 p.m. EST. RAISE 4 carries eight payloads designed to test propulsion and communications systems, a drag sail to help deorbit the spacecraft, and several additional experimental technologies. Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck praised the mission, highlighting the precision and reliability delivered to one of the world’s leading space agencies and emphasizing its role in supporting the growth of Japan’s aerospace sector. The satellite had originally been scheduled to launch aboard Japan’s...


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