Rocket Lab’s rocket launches dual-purpose geolocation satellites into orbit

The Electron rocket successfully launched three US HawkEye satellites into orbit. It is reported by Interfax with reference to the carrier developer Rocket Lab.

“Satellite launch confirmed,” the statement said.

Dual-purpose satellites are designed to determine the location of radio signal sources on the Earth’s surface.

The launch of the three-stage launch vehicle was carried out from the NASA Wallops spaceport, located on the island of the same name off the Atlantic coast of the US state of Virginia, on Tuesday at 18:00 US East Coast time (Wednesday at 02:00 Moscow time). Approximately an hour after the launch, after separating from the upper stage Curie, the spacecraft entered the standard orbit at a height of 550 km.

According to the US operator HawkEye 360, half of the orders for satellite data will come from the Pentagon, and the rest from rescue services and commercial companies.

HawkEye satellites, in particular, can be used to monitor areas with high radio activity, intense RF signals from electronic warfare, and GPS jamming areas. With their help, you can detect sources and places of radio interference on the battlefield.