Rocket Lab Photon
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's Electron kick stage. It moves satellites into their appropriate orbits once boosted by rockets such as Electron. It is customizable for uses including LEO payload hosting, lunar flybys, and interplanetary missions.
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.
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. Depending on the orbital inclination (37° to Sun-synchronous orbit), it is expected to have a payload capacity of 170 kg (370 lb). The interplanetary version was to have a 40 kg (88 lb) payload capacity.
HyperCurie is an evolution of the Curie engine, which comes in monopropellant and bipropellant versions, while the HyperCurie is hypergolic and electrically pumped.