Key Highlights:
- Rocket Lab seizes deal with Keneis to launch 25 satellite constellations of IoT
- Investment worth 100 million Euros were raised by Keneis to develop the constellation
- The satellites will be placed in specific orbital plans and handled by the Electron’s kick stage.
Improving IoT Connectivity
Rocket lab – a Public American Aerospace manufacturer and small satellite launch service provider – is preparing to launch 25 satellites for Kenies. A French startup, Keneis is backed by private investors and the French space agency CNES. The schedule for deploying the full constellation will be confirmed once the satellites are ready.
The company will be launching the satellites over five dedicated launches starting from the second quarter of 2023. The satellites are required to be placed in specific orbital planes at an altitude of 650 kilometers and will be handled by the Electron’s kick stage.
Expansion of Operations
To develop this constellation, Keneis has raised an investment of 100 million euros. The multi-launch deal was seized by the company with the intent of improving its IoT connectivity. Once the entire constellation is deployed, Keneis will be able to expand its operations across multiple industries and scale from 20,000 devices connected to millions.
The chief executive of Kineis Alexandre Tisserant stated that “We are glad to entrust our constellation of 25 satellites to Rocket Lab. They are the obvious choice as a launch partner to activate the constellation at such a pace”.
Second Multi-launch Contract
The multi-launch contract with Kineis is subject to standard termination and launch rescheduling provisions. This is the second multi-launch contract for a constellation for Rocket Lab.
The first contract was announced in March for the launch of eight BlackSky imaging satellites. Rocket Lab had planned three consecutive Electron launches of BlackSky satellites during the late August which was delayed due to the pandemic.
Challenges Faced during Execution
The biggest challenge faced during the execution of these contracts was validation of the size of the Electron. This was because some vehicles larger than the Electron had entered the market with payload capacities of about one metric ton. These vehicles were too large for these kinds of dedicated launches and too small to be viable rideshare against the Falcon 9. The size of the Electron can place up to 300 kilograms into low Earth orbit.
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