Wise One Looks Ahead
Wise One Looks Ahead was a Rocket Lab Electron mission for U.S. Space Force that launched successfully at 06:30 UTC on 13 July 2022 (6:30 p.m. NZST on 13 July; 2:30 a.m. EDT on 13 July) from Launch Complex 1A on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.
06:30 UTC on 13 July 2022 · 6:30 p.m. NZST on 13 July · 2:30 a.m. EDT on 13 July
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
-
Payload separation success
by scottm3 Source: twitter.com -
Liftoff
by scottm3 -
T-0 updated
by scottm3 Source: twitter.com
Updates via Launch Library 2 (The Space Devs).
Name Origin
The name "Wise One Looks Ahead" signifies foresight and strategic intelligence gathering, aligning with the NRO's mission to anticipate future challenges and opportunities through advanced reconnaissance.
Mission Overview
Classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
Technical Details
Launch data cross-checked against Wikipedia.
Was this a jellyfish launch?
ModerateSun 16° below the horizon at liftoff — late twilight, only the high plume is still sunlit.
Details
- Unlikely
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Liftoff
- 6:30 p.m. NZST · 06:30 UTC
- Sunset
- 5:02 p.m. NZST · 05:02 UTC
- Civil dusk (−6°)
- 5:32 p.m. NZST · 05:32 UTC
- Nautical dusk (−12°)
- 6:05 p.m. NZST · 06:05 UTC
- Astronomical dusk (−18°)
- 6:37 p.m. NZST · 06:37 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 334 2022-079A · Payload | Operator National Reconnaissance Office | Built by Unknown US manufacturer (classified satellite) NROL-162 | Mass 100 kg | Orbit 490 × 508 km · 40.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 53102 |
Electron 28 Stage 2 2022-079B · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Electron St2 | Mass 250 kg | Orbit 256 × 524 km · 40.1° | Status Decayed 2022-10-02 | NORAD 53103 |
Electron 28 Kick Stage 2022-079C · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Kick Stage | Mass 40 kg | Orbit 559 × 563 km · 40.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 53104 |
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