Rocket Lab launched their fifth Electron mission of 2020 — a rideshare for Planet Labs and Spaceflight Industries named “In Focus,” a reference to Electron’s payload of 10 Earth-imaging satellites. The flight targeted a 500 kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, ideal for Earth observation missions as the high inclination means the satellites can cover large portions of the Earth surface while the Sun maintains the same position in the sky each time the satellites pass over a specific location.
The 15th flight of an Electron rocket from Rocket Lab’s private launch facility on the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand launched on 28 October at 21:21 UTC (17:21 EDT), or 29 October at 10:21 local time in New Zealand.