3/3 Once up there, it’s still not over!
Rocket Lab’s mission is completed when all five satellites are injected into the correct orbit, a few seconds apart to minimize the risk of collision. Each satellite then triggers an automatic sequence lasting a few hours in which the on-board computer is switched on, the solar panels and antennas are deployed and the satellite’s attitude is adjusted to point the solar panels towards the Sun. We can then make the first contact with the satellite from the control center.
The 5 satellites launched at the same time are always grouped together. All that remains to be done is to distribute them evenly along the orbit. In fact, the injection altitude is lower than the final constellation altitude (635 km vs. 650 km), which means they are flying on the final orbital plane at a higher velocity than desired. By remote control from our ground stations, we trigger the increase in altitude, one by one, as their respective angular position on the orbital plane is reached. It takes 4 to 5 weeks to complete the positioning using the electric propulsion system.
Before commissioning, all that remains is to check that all the instruments.
All these steps will be repeated 5 times for the launches and 25 times for the satellites at a hectic pace in 2023, but it will be well worth the effort, because the entire constellation will be ready to connect your objects all over the world, within a few weeks of the last launch, and for at least 8 years!
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