Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has announced that it will be launching the LEO 3 satellite for global satellite operator Telesat on an Electron mission in Q3 2023. The satellite, built and manifested to Electron by Space Flight Laboratory of Toronto, will provide continuity for customer and ecosystem vendor testing campaigns following the decommissioning of Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite. Once deployed to orbit, LEO 3 will operate under an existing ITU network filing for Telesat Lightspeed, the company’s enterprise-class LEO constellation. The Electron mission is scheduled for lift-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand no earlier than Q3 2023. To meet Telesat’s program requirements, SFL has selected Rocket Lab to deliver the satellite to space on an accelerated timeline within four months of contract signing. This launch follows the successful deployment of three satellites built by SFL for radio frequency data analytics company HawkEye 360, which launched on the first Electron mission of the year in January 2023. Rocket Lab Senior Director of Global Launch Services Brian Rogers said that “Electron remains the undisputed small launch leader for reliable and regular satellite delivery to orbit.”
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