Launch Payload To Space And Attend Rocket Launch

Private New Zealand aerospace company Rocket Lab Limited is preparing to launch the Ātea-1 sub-orbital rocket to space on 30^th November.

Rocket Lab is offering the public an opportunity to purchase payload capacity and attend this historic launch as a VIP on the Great Mercury Island launch site. The winning bidder will have the exclusive opportunity to be a part of the maiden launch of the Ātea-1 sub-orbital rocket, by being a valued guest at the launch on Great Mercury Island, and also have their personal payload sent into space and returned.

The maiden launch of Ātea-1 will create a number of milestones:

Be the first privately constructed rocket launched from the Southern Hemisphere to enter space
Launch the Southern Hemisphere’s first commercial space program
Be the first commercial sounding rocket to use hybrid fuel technology
Give the global scientific community the first practical alternative to conventional rockets – at significantly lower cost

The launch will be conducted on Great Mercury Island, situated off the picturesque Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. The island and month is a fitting place for conducting this historic launch, as its namesake is derived 240 years ago from Captain James Cook’s observation of the transit of Mercury in November of 1769.

The Winning Bidder Will Have The Opportunity To:

Include up to 100 grams of payload on the rocket
View the launch as a VIP at Great Mercury Island
Gain exclusive access to the launch site and pre-launch activities
Secure branding space on the rocket and launch infrastructure
Be a part of New Zealand history

Opportunities For Applications:

Commercial – launch your product or service into space, a large media contingent is attending the launch which will provide significant national and international exposure
Personal – launch your family’s DNA into space, photos, jewellery, personal memento, the possibilities are endless

The Rocket:

The Ātea-1 is designed specifically for scientific sub-orbital missions. It will travel at Mach 5 to an altitude of 120 kilometres (space is considered to start at 100 kilometres) then return to Earth in a sub-orbital ballistic curve, to be recovered from a splashdown at sea.

The Ātea-1 is almost entirely constructed from lightweight carbon fibre composites. Components such as the rocket nozzle and combustion chamber are all manufactured by Rocket Lab from composite materials which are a fraction of the weight of traditional metallic components. The rocket generates the equivalent of 3,200 horsepower from a rocket engine weighing just 13kg.

Rocket Lab has developed new clean green hybrid rocket engine technologies that produce non-toxic exhaust emissions, something that is novel in the industry. The whole launch vehicle is designed from the ground-up as a science platform to enable Southern Hemisphere Earth and space sciences. Unlike other suborbital rockets (such as those operated by NASA) the launch vehicle is not based on surplus military hardware.

The Ātea-1 vehicle encounters extremes of flight environment through-out its journey to space and back.

Acceleration resulting in breaking the sound barrier in less than 2.5 seconds
Maximum velocity Mach 5 (London to Paris in less than 3.5 minutes)
Maximum G-Force’s at launch of up to 15g
Rocket engines equivalent to 3,200 Horsepower
Aerodynamic friction causing temperatures hot enough to melt aluminium
Capable of reaching altitudes up to 120 kilometres
Fully recoverable payload
Vehicle is 6 metres tall

Rocket Lab Limited Launch Terms And Conditions:

The payload will need to be delivered to the Rocket Lab Auckland office by 10am, Tuesday, 24^th November
A launch contract will need to be signed and delivered to the Rocket Lab by 4pm, Monday 23^rd November
No living, toxic or potentially explosive objects will be considered
The payload experiences hash vibration so fragile items should be avoided
The winner will be required to travel to Whitianga for transfers to the island 1 day before the launch
The dimensions of the payload space available are 50mm diameter by 100mm long
Rocket Lab can not guarantee the launch will reach space
Rocket Lab can not guarantee the return of the payload
Rocket Lab can not guarantee launch will take place on Monday, 30^th November (if weather, or other factors, cause delay then the launch may be postponed for later in the week)
All payloads will need to be approved by our Technical Director
Rocket Lab accepts no liability whatsoever for any negative eventuality and there will be no refunds
For corporates, a full pre and post launch package is available to leverage off the exposure of the event