 Interplanetary version of Photon in an Electron fairing | |
| Manufacturer | Rocket Lab |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Specifications | |
| Spacecraft type | Satellite bus |
| Launch mass | 50 kg (110 lb) |
| Payload capacity | 170 kg (370 lb) |
| Equipment | S band payloads |
| Production | |
| Status | Active |
| Launched | 4 |
| Maiden launch | 31 August 2020 |
| Related spacecraft | |
| Derived from | Kick Stage |
Photon is a satellite bus based on Rocket Lab the Electron kick stage.[1] It moves satellites into their appropriate orbits once boosted by rockets such as Electron. It is customizable to serve uses including LEO payload hosting,[2] lunar flybys, and interplanetary missions.[3]
Photon uses chemical propulsion for orbit adjustments. It can use a variety of engines, such as the Curie and HyperCurie engines, as well as engines from third-party sources, such as the one powering the EscaPADE mission.[4]
Photon first launched in August 2020 on Rocket Lab's I Can't Believe It's Not Optical mission, where it served as a pathfinder. It has since flown three times. It flew the CAPSTONE mission.
Photon communicates on the S-band.[5] Depending on the orbital inclination (37° to Sun-synchronous orbit), it is expected to have a payload capacity of 170 kg (370 lb).[6] The low Earth orbit version of Photon can take 170 kg (370 lb) to Sun-synchronous orbit.[7] The interplanetary version was to have a 40 kg (88 lb) payload capacity.[8]
HyperCurie is an evolution of the Curie engine, which comes in monopropellant and bipropellant versions, while the HyperCurie is hypergolic[9] and electrically pumped.[10]
- ^ Foust, Jeff (8 April 2019). "Rocket Lab unveils Photon smallsat bus". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ^ "Varda Space Industries". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ "Photon". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ 73 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) (18 September 20022), ESCAPADE: A Low-Cost Formation at Mars, Retrieved 21 October 2023
- ^ "x.com".
- ^ "Photon". Rocket Lab. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ^ "Rocket Lab to deliver payloads to the Moon and beyond with Photon". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ "Satellite Solutions". Rocket Lab. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ Etherington, Darrell (13 May 2020). "Rocket Lab tests new hyperCurie engine that will power its deep space delivery vehicle". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
- ^ Beck, Peter. Rocket Lab SmallSat Update and Q&A. youtube.com. 38 minutes in. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2020.