Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) achieved a major milestone in Q2 with its MAX Flight Software that is now operating on 53 spacecraft for a cumulative 161 years in space.
Developed by Colorado-based Advanced Solutions Inc (ASI), which was acquired by Rocket Lab in October of 2021, the off-the-shelf spacecraft flight software, MAX, supports a wide range of missions and all spacecraft subsystems including command and telemetry, sequencing, Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C), fault protection, built-in closed loop simulation, and more. MAX Flight Software is used by leading aerospace prime contractors, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. DoD organizations, NASA, and commercial spacecraft developers and operators.
Included in the 53 spacecraft operating MAX Flight Software is Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon, which deployed NASA’s CAPSTONE spacecraft to the Moon, launched on June 28th, 2022. MAX Flight Software will also feature in several upcoming Rocket Lab missions, including Photons under development for missions to Mars and Venus.
To support growing customer demand for flight software, mission simulation, and GNC services, Rocket Lab is expanding into a new space system complex in Littleton, Colorado. The new complex will be established near Rocket Lab’s existing 15,000 sq. ft. location on Shaffer Parkway in Littleton and will add 40,000 sq. ft. of new lab, production and office space. The complex is expected to be completed by late 2022 and will include two mission operations centers.
This expansion will also support team growth, with Rocket Lab’s Colorado headcount expected to double to more than 120 people by early 2023 with roles spanning flight software development, GNC, spacecraft simulation, and systems engineering.
“MAX Flight Software is enabling some of the most ambitious space missions in recent history, from Lunar landers and orbiters to asteroid missions and commercial constellations,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “Flight software is a vital part of every space mission and the ASI team revolutionized it by creating an off-the-shelf flight software that can be adapted to a wide range of missions. Now with the support and resources of Rocket Lab behind the team, we look forward to delivering on the next 50 missions and then some, delivering industry-leading flight software products to our global customers at scale.”
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle and the Photon satellite platform and is developing the Neutron 8-ton payload class launch vehicle. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 148 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a second launch site in Virginia, USA which is expected to become operational in 2022. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.