Rocket Lab has revealed that Astro Digital will be the customer for Rocket Lab’s ninth Electron mission, and fifth mission of 2019.

Astro Digital's Corvus platform, a modular and scalable collection of satellite subsystems.

Image is courtesy of the company.

The mission is named ‘As The Crow Flies’ in a nod to Astro Digital’s Corvus Platform, which provides flexible and cost-effective solutions across a wide range of applications and mission profiles on bus variants ranging from 6U and 16U CubeSats to ESPA Class. Corvus is also a widely-distributed genus of birds which includes crows.

Rocket Lab’s Senior Vice President – Global Launch Services, Lars Hoffman, said the mission is a perfect example of the tailored, responsive and precise launch service sought by an increasing number of small satellite operators and that the company is honored Astro Digital has selected Rocket Lab as the launch provider for their dedicated mission.

Mr. Hoffman noted that ‘As The Crow Flies’ has been moved forward in Rocket Lab’s 2019 launch manifest, after a customer originally slated for launch in the coming weeks requested a later launch date. By manufacturing standard Electron launch vehicles, rather than rockets tailored to specific missions, Rocket Lab can facilitate rapid manifest changes that support the responsive needs of small satellite operators. Rocket Lab augments this flexibility by operating the world’s only private orbital launch range, providing small satellite customers with unmatched launch schedule control.