Antipodean Adventure
Antipodean Adventure was a Rocket Lab Electron mission for U.S. Space Force that launched successfully at 05:00 UTC on 4 August 2022 (5:00 p.m. NZST on 4 August; 1:00 a.m. EDT on 4 August) from Launch Complex 1B on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.
05:00 UTC on 4 August 2022 · 5:00 p.m. NZST on 4 August · 1:00 a.m. EDT on 4 August
Mission State
This mission currently has a dated launch window in the tracker.
The primary watch link points to an official Rocket Lab source.
Launch Updates
-
Spacecraft separation
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: twitter.com -
Liftoff
by SwGustav Source: youtube.com -
Coverage is live
by SwGustav Source: youtube.com
Updates via Launch Library 2 (The Space Devs).
Name Origin
This name playfully acknowledges Rocket Lab's New Zealand origins ('Antipodean') while framing the NRO mission as an exciting 'Adventure' into space, highlighting the journey and exploration.
Mission Overview
Classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
Technical Details
Launch data cross-checked against Wikipedia.
Was this a jellyfish launch?
UnlikelySun 3° above the horizon at liftoff — daylight, the sky is too bright.
Details
- Unlikely
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Liftoff
- 5:00 p.m. NZST · 05:00 UTC
- Sunset
- 5:20 p.m. NZST · 05:20 UTC
- Civil dusk (−6°)
- 5:48 p.m. NZST · 05:48 UTC
- Nautical dusk (−12°)
- 6:21 p.m. NZST · 06:21 UTC
- Astronomical dusk (−18°)
- 6:52 p.m. NZST · 06:52 UTC
Twilight times at the pad (Mahia, NZ) for the evening of the launch.
What's a rocket jellyfish? When a rocket launches in twilight, the ground is dark but its exhaust plume climbs into sunlight high above. The expanding plume glows against the dark sky in a jellyfish-like shape.
Space-Object Catalog
| Object | Operator | Built by | Mass | Orbit | Status | NORAD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USA 335 2022-091A · Payload | Operator National Reconnaissance Office | Built by Unknown US manufacturer (classified satellite) NROL-199 | Mass 100 kg | Orbit 495 × 502 km · 70.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 53352 |
Electron 29 Stage 2 2022-091B · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Electron St2 | Mass 250 kg | Orbit 139 × 158 km · 70.0° | Status Decayed 2022-10-20 | NORAD 53353 |
Electron 29 Kick Stage 2022-091C · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Kick Stage | Mass 40 kg | Orbit 583 × 592 km · 70.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 53354 |
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