The Beat Goes On
The Beat Goes On was a Rocket Lab Electron mission for BlackSky that launched successfully at 09:14 UTC on 24 March 2023 (10:14 p.m. NZDT on 24 March; 5:14 a.m. EDT on 24 March) from Launch Complex 1B on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.
09:14 UTC on 24 March 2023 · 10:14 p.m. NZDT on 24 March · 5:14 a.m. EDT on 24 March
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: twitter.com -
Liftoff
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: youtube.com -
Resume count.
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: twitter.com
Updates via Launch Library 2 (The Space Devs).
Name Origin
Title of the 1967 Sonny & Cher hit, reflecting the unbroken cadence of BlackSky launches — the beat of satellite deployments goes on.
Mission Overview
Payload consists of 2 second generation Earth-imaging satellites for BlackSky. They are part of a constellation of 60 Low Earth Orbit Earth imaging satellites adding capacity to the company’s real-time geospatial intelligence and monitoring capabilities.
Technical Details
48
kiwisLaunch data cross-checked against Wikipedia.
Was this a jellyfish launch?
UnlikelySun 34° below the horizon at liftoff — full night, the plume stays in Earth's shadow.
Details
- Unlikely
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Liftoff
- 10:14 p.m. NZDT · 09:14 UTC
- Sunset
- 7:14 p.m. NZDT · 06:14 UTC
- Civil dusk (−6°)
- 7:41 p.m. NZDT · 06:41 UTC
- Nautical dusk (−12°)
- 8:12 p.m. NZDT · 07:12 UTC
- Astronomical dusk (−18°)
- 8:44 p.m. NZDT · 07:44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Electron TopHat adapter 2023-041A · Debris | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. TopHat | Mass 20 kg | Orbit 188 × 195 km · 42.0° | Status Decayed 2023-05-30 | NORAD 55981 |
Global-19 2023-041B · Payload | Operator BlackSky Global | Built by LeoStella LLC (SFLIN/THALES) BSky | Mass 55 kg | Orbit 446 × 456 km · 42.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 55982 |
Global-5 2023-041C · Payload | Operator BlackSky Global | Built by LeoStella LLC (SFLIN/THALES) BSky | Mass 55 kg | Orbit 446 × 456 km · 42.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 55983 |
Electron 35 Kick Stage 2023-041D · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Kick Stage | Mass 40 kg | Orbit 164 × 205 km · 42.0° | Status Decayed 2023-04-08 | NORAD 55984 |
Electron 35 Stage 2 2023-041E · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Electron St2 | Mass 250 kg | Orbit 143 × 239 km · 42.0° | Status Decayed 2023-03-30 | NORAD 55985 |
