‘Symphony In The Stars’ is the first of two dedicated missions on Electron to deploy a single spacecraft to a 650km circular Earth orbit for a confidential commercial customer.
A second dedicated launch on Electron to meet those same mission requirements is scheduled for launch before the end of 2025.
The payload has since been identified by USSF as EchoStar’s Lyra-4, an EchoStar Lyra Block 1 satellite. It is a 4-satellite constellation that will deliver global Internet of Things (IoT), machine-to-machine (M2M) and other data services through S-band. EchoStar will operate the constellation from its Australian subsidiary, EchoStar Global.
Electron is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle (with an optional third stage) developed by the American aerospace company Rocket Lab. Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle designed to launch small satellites and cubesats to sun-synchronous orbit and low earth orbit. The Electron is the first orbital class rocket to use electric-pump-fed engines, powered by the 9 Rutherford engines on the first stage. It is also used as a suborbital testbed (called HASTE) for hypersonics research.
