Rocket Lab Wallops Launch Delayed Again; Set for Jan. 2023

Rocket Lab will have to wait a bit longer for its first launch on American soil.

The public aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider recently announced it is delaying its Electron rocket launch from Wallops to Jan. 2023 again due to unfavorable weather conditions.

This delay is the third time Rocket Lab made for the launch of its Electron rocket in America due to bad weather conditions in Earth's upper atmosphere.

Rocket Lab Electron Rocket Launch Delay Details

Rocket Lab mentioned on its official Twitter account that continued strong upper-level winds were predicted to continue to persist well past the company's window of opportunity.

This persisting problem means that Rocket Labs would be unable to launch its Electron rocket even on Dec. 19 and 20, which are the only remaining days when it could execute its "virginia is for Launch Lovers" mission.

As a result, Rocket Lab decided to move its inaugural launch on US soil sometime in January to wait out the strong upper-level winds in the Earth's atmosphere that delayed its previous attempts to launch.

You may remember that Rocket Lab spokesperson Murielle Baker said during his live launch commentary on Dec. 18 that Earth's upper-level weather wasn't optimal for launch. This delay made its Dec. 18 launch the second attempt that resulted in a delay due to bad weather conditions.

The delay went against forecasters' prediction that there would be a 90% chance of favorable weather for launch on Dec. 18, with only slight concern for thick clouds, per Space Flight Now.

Meanwhile, the first happened on Dec. 13, when poor weather conditions in the Wallops area prevented the company from giving the green light to launch its Electron rocket into space.

Had the launch happened as planned, the mission would have been Rocket Lab's tenth Electron rocket launch in 2022 and its first from Launch Complex 2.

Launch Complex 2 is a launch pad Rocket Lab made on NASA's Flight Facility on Virginia Island. The company chose this launch site due to its wish to increase its flexibility and capabilities for US government and military customers.

Rocket Lab's New Plans For 2023

Since Rocket Lab's Virginia is for Launch Lovers mission is delayed to Jan. 2023, the company now expects it will make five to seven launches from Wallops next year.

However, the company didn't mention when these launches will occur and on what mission they will go under.

Many companies have presumably commissioned Rocket Lab to bring their equipment into space, providing the company with good reasons to launch its Electron rocket on Complex 2, per Space News.

HawkEye 360, which commissioned Rocket Lab for its current mission, is also based in Virginia.

Rocket Lab's current mission is to place the first three satellites of HawkEye 360's constellation for the latter company to better deliver a precise mapping of radio frequency emissions anywhere in the world.