Rocket Lab is preparing to launch its sixth mission of 2020 — a launch which the company calls its “most diverse mission yet,” with 30 satellites onboard and a launch broadcast that will raise money for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Starship children’s hospital.
Electron will blast off from LC-1A on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula. The launch is targeted for 20 November UTC at 02:20 UTC, 15:20 NZT, or 19 November at 21:20 EST; the launch window is open for 2 hours 50 minutes.
The company will attempt a water landing of Electron’s first stage for the first time, with the mission named “Return to Sender” — a nod to this first milestone on the road to successfully recovering and reusing Electron.