Neutron — mission imagery
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TBD

NZSA Venus Mission

NeutronRocket LabRocket Lab Launch Complex 3 (Launch Area 0 D)
Friday, December 31, 2027 · 12:00 AM UTCAdd to Calendar

NextMission AnnouncedT-720:00:00

Time to launch

537
DAYS
:
13
HRS
:
12
MIN
:
33
SEC
Launch Window Confidence
46% — Uncertain

Vehicle

Neutron

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Neutron is an upcoming medium-lift two-stage launch vehicle under development by Rocket Lab. Neutron features a reusable first stage fueled by LOX and Methane.

Height40 m
LEO Payload15,000 kg
Launches134
Successes87

Provider

Rocket Lab

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USA • Founded 2006

Rocket Lab is an American aerospace manufacturer with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. The company develops lightweight, cost-effective commercial rocket launch services. The Electron Program was founded...

Mission Brief

NZSA Venus Mission is a small direct Venus entry probe with a single 1 kg low-mass, low-cost autofluorescing nephelometer riding on a satellite bus based on the Photon Upper stage of the Electron rocket. The probe mission will spend approximately 5 minutes in the Venus cloud layers, 48-60 km above the surface, collecting in situ measurements to search for organic molecules in cloud particles and constrain particle composition.

PayloadNZSA Venus Mission
OrbitHeliocentric N/A
CustomerRocket Lab
Stages2
PadRocket Lab Launch Complex 3 (Launch Area 0 D), Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Mission Timeline

0 / 140%
Up next · Pre-launch

Mission Announced

Official mission announcement and payload assignment

T-720:00:00
12:00 AM UTC
  • Mission AnnouncedT-720:00:00
  • Vehicle RolloutT-48:00:00
  • Wet Dress RehearsalT-24:00:00
  • Launch Day PrepT-06:00:00

Ground vector

Launch site

Site locked

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 3 (Launch Area 0 D)

Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Global range
SITE LOCK
Latitude
37.832°N
Longitude
75.490°W

Range Weather

Launch commit criteria

Clear
Watch
TrackingNo active constraints
Weather Rules

Tracking no weather issues at this time.

Primary concern
No weather issues
Rule count
0
Temperature
Not reported
Surface wind
Not reported
Window

12:00 AM UTC - 12:00 AM UTC

Schedule History

No delays or schedule changes recorded.

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