We Love the Nightlife
We Love the Nightlife was a Rocket Lab Electron mission for Capella that launched successfully at 23:45 UTC on 23 August 2023 (11:45 a.m. NZST on 24 August; 7:45 p.m. EDT on 23 August) from Launch Complex 1B on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.
23:45 UTC on 23 August 2023 · 11:45 a.m. NZST on 24 August · 7:45 p.m. EDT on 23 August
Disclaimer: This livestream is from a third-party channel and is not an official Rocket Lab broadcast.
Mission State
This mission currently has a dated launch window in the tracker.
The current watch link is from a third-party source rather than Rocket Lab directly.
Launch Updates
-
Launch success
by SwGustav Source: twitter.com -
Liftoff
by SwGustav Source: youtube.com -
Livestream has started
by LL2 Source: youtube.com
Updates via Launch Library 2 (The Space Devs).
Name Origin
This mission name is a playful nod to the disco hit "I Love the Nightlife," highlighting Capella Space's ability to image Earth 24/7, even in darkness.
Mission Overview
Payload consists of a single SAR Earth-imaging Acadia satellite, a new generation satellite designed, manufactured, and operated by Capella Space. First mission to fly with a reused engine.
Technical Details
66
kiwisLaunch data cross-checked against Wikipedia.
Was this a jellyfish launch?
UnlikelySun 39° above the horizon at liftoff — daylight, the sky is too bright.
Details
- Unlikely
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Liftoff
- 11:45 a.m. NZST · 23:45 UTC
- Astronomical dawn (−18°)
- 5:14 a.m. NZST · 17:14 UTC
- Nautical dawn (−12°)
- 5:45 a.m. NZST · 17:45 UTC
- Civil dawn (−6°)
- 6:17 a.m. NZST · 18:17 UTC
- Sunrise
- 6:44 a.m. NZST · 18:44 UTC
Twilight times at the pad (Mahia, NZ) for the morning 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capella 11 2023-126A · Payload | Operator Capella Space Corp. | Built by Capella Space Corp. Acadia | Mass 180 kg | Orbit 597 × 600 km · 53.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 57693 |
Electron 40 Kick Stage 2023-126B · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Kick Stage | Mass 40 kg | Orbit 607 × 620 km · 53.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 57694 |
Electron 40 Stage 2 2023-126C · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Electron St2 | Mass 250 kg | Orbit 115 × 151 km · 53.0° | Status Decayed 2023-09-11 | NORAD 57695 |
