In a flawless early-morning liftoff, Rocket Lab successfully deployed four disk-shaped satellites into a very low earth orbit. The mission, named “Don’t Be Such a Square,” was Rocket Lab’s first public mission from Wallops in well over a year.
Launch Details
Electron lifted off from LC-2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) in Wallops Island, Virginia at 12:03AM this morning. This marked Electron’s 78th total launch and 20th of the year. This mission was originally slated for a spring 2026 launch date, but was pushed up to meet national security needs.
Payload Details
DiskSats are flat, roughly one meter in diameter platforms that orbit Earth in a very low earth orbit. They were developed by The Aerospace Corporation with funding from NASA’s Small Spacecraft and Distributed Systems program. The DiskSats were placed in a 550KM orbit and were the first ever of their kind to be put in orbit.
Sir Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab, stated that “Rocket Lab’s speed, streamlined operations, and reliability were on full display with this flawless Electron launch for STP-S30, and we’re proud to be strengthening the nation’s space capabilities.”
What’s Next At Wallops?
Rocket Lab has not announced their next mission out of Wallops just yet. Their Neutron rocket, which is still in development, was originally slated for a late 2025 launch. This mission has slipped into next year. Work still continues on LC-3 to prepare for the inaugural mission, which is now targeting early next year.
