Rocket Lab is gearing up for consecutive missions for NASA at Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. The first mission, Ready, Aim, PREFIRE, is scheduled for May 22nd, followed by the PREFIRE and Ice mission three weeks later. Ready, Aim, PREFIRE is dedicated to launching the Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) to measure heat loss from the Arctic and Antarctica.
This marks the first time heat will be measured in infrared and far-infrared wavelengths over the polar regions. The two 6U cubesats are set to be deployed into a 525 km Sun-synchronous circular orbit, providing valuable data for climate change research over a mission period of 10 months. By choosing Rocket Lab for these missions, NASA can expedite the deployment of the cubesats without relying on rideshare missions.
This partnership builds on Rocket Lab’s track record with NASA, following previous successful launches. These upcoming missions will be the 48th and 49th overall for Rocket Lab and the 6th and 7th for the year. The execution of these missions will aid scientists in refining models to predict changes caused by global warming.
Rocket Lab has not yet confirmed if either mission will include the recovery of the Electron first stage.