Four Of A Kind
Four Of A Kind was a Rocket Lab Electron mission for NorthStar that launched successfully at 06:34 UTC on 31 January 2024 (7:34 p.m. NZDT on 31 January; 1:34 a.m. EST on 31 January) from Launch Complex 1B on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.
06:34 UTC on 31 January 2024 · 7:34 p.m. NZDT on 31 January · 1:34 a.m. EST on 31 January
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
-
Launch success.
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: northstar-data.com -
Liftoff.
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: youtube.com -
New T-0.
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: twitter.com
Updates via Launch Library 2 (The Space Devs).
Name Origin
This mission name, 'Four Of A Kind', playfully references a poker term, highlighting the launch of four satellites for Spire Global, likely comprising the first batch in their NorthStar constellation.
Mission Overview
Four space situational awareness (SSA) satellites for Canadian company NorthStar Earth and Space.
Technical Details
45
kiwis- Four Of A Kind Press Kit rocketlabusa.com
Launch data cross-checked against Wikipedia.
Was this a jellyfish launch?
UnlikelySun 9° above the horizon at liftoff — daylight, the sky is too bright.
Details
- Unlikely
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Liftoff
- 7:34 p.m. NZDT · 06:34 UTC
- Sunset
- 8:26 p.m. NZDT · 07:26 UTC
- Civil dusk (−6°)
- 8:55 p.m. NZDT · 07:55 UTC
- Nautical dusk (−12°)
- 9:32 p.m. NZDT · 08:32 UTC
- Astronomical dusk (−18°)
- 10:11 p.m. NZDT · 09:11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lemur-2 Nimbus2000 2024-022A · Payload | Operator Spire / NorthStar Earth and Space | Built by Spire/Glasgow Cubesat 3U | Mass 25 kg | Orbit 426 × 438 km · 97.4° | Status On orbit | NORAD 58899 |
Lemur-2 Valhalla 2024-022B · Payload | Operator Spire / NorthStar Earth and Space | Built by Spire/Glasgow Cubesat 3U | Mass 25 kg | Orbit 431 × 444 km · 97.4° | Status On orbit | NORAD 58900 |
Electron 43 Kick Stage 2024-022C · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Kick Stage | Mass 43 kg | Orbit 353 × 358 km · 97.4° | Status On orbit | NORAD 58901 |
Lemur-2 Oba-Ni-Jesu 2024-022D · Payload | Operator Spire / NorthStar Earth and Space | Built by Spire/Glasgow Cubesat 3U | Mass 25 kg | Orbit 168 × 180 km · 97.4° | Status Decayed 2026-06-13 | NORAD 58902 |
Lemur-2 Cael 2024-022E · Payload | Operator Spire / NorthStar Earth and Space | Built by Spire/Glasgow Cubesat 3U | Mass 25 kg | Orbit 427 × 438 km · 97.4° | Status On orbit | NORAD 58903 |
Electron 43 Stage 2 2024-022F · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Electron St2 | Mass 250 kg | Orbit 130 × 179 km · 97.5° | Status Decayed 2024-02-08 | NORAD 58904 |