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Rocket LabElectronRocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Coming To A Storm Near You (TROPICS-3)
Launched
May 26, 2023 · 03:46 UTC
Summary
TROPICS-3 launched on a Rocket Lab Electron from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand on May 26, 2023 at 03:46 UTC. The launch window ran from 03:30 to 04:40 UTC. It was Rocket Lab's 37th launch, 5th this year and humanity's 6,446th orbital launch attempt. It was the 37th Electron flight and the 5th this year. Booster 37 flew for the 1st time and was expended. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). TROPICS SV03, one of 4 catalogued objects, reached a 542 × 567 km orbit inclined 32.7°. 4 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- Vehicle
- Electron · Rocket Lab
- Booster
- 37 · flight 1 · expendable4/6 landed here
- Mission
- Earth Science · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)for NASA
- Milestone
- 37th Electron flight · 5th this yearRocket Lab's 37th launch5th this yearhumanity's 6,446th orbital launch attempt78th orbital launch attempt this year
Webcast
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
TROPICS SV03 · NORAD 56753 · 2023-073 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 4 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2023-073B
- Epoch
- 2023-05-26 07:40:29 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.06419453 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0018001
- Inclination
- 32.7147°
- Ascending node
- 205.7164°
- Arg. of perigee
- 191.7242°
- Mean anomaly
- 217.8177°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
4 catalogued: 2 payloads, 2 rocket stages; none still in orbit
- TROPICS SV03 · NORAD 56753 · re-entered December 11, 2025
- TROPICS SV07 · NORAD 56754 · re-entered September 6, 2025
Electron 37 Kick Stage · re-entered May 20, 2025
Electron 37 Stage 2 · re-entered May 14, 2025
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Last two operational (TROPICS-06 & TROPICS-07) satellites for NASA's Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation Structure and Storm Intensity with a Constellation of SmallSats (TROPICS) mission. The CubeSats are designed to provide rapid-refresh microwave measurements that can be used to determine temperature, pressure, and humidity inside hurricanes as they form and evolve.
Related page: www.rocketlabusa.comRelated page: NASA Awards Launch Services Task Order for TROPICS CubeSats Mission
Pad
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
9th launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, 3rd this year · 35th from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Local pad time at liftoff: May 26, 3:46 PM GMT+12, in daylight
41 launches from this pad · 84 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
18 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New ZealandOpen in maps
Updates
Payloads have been deployed.
Show 9 earlier updates
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/26/2023 · source
Livestream has started
LL2 · 5/26/2023 · source
New T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/26/2023 · source
Delayed 1 day due to upper level winds.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/24/2023 · source
Delayed to May 25 due to weather.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/21/2023 · source
Delayed a day due to unfavourable weather
Jay · 5/20/2023 · source
Refined launch window.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/16/2023 · source
Updated launch date confirmed by Rocket Lab
Jay · 5/15/2023 · source
Delayed with the other TROPICS launch due to weather conditions, new date TBD.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/4/2023 · source
Questions
When did TROPICS-3 launch?
TROPICS-3 launched on May 26, 2023 at 03:46 UTC. The launch window ran from 03:30 to 04:40 UTC.
Where can I watch TROPICS-3?
Coverage: Launch of Cyclone-Tracking TROPICS CubeSats from New Zealand, Pt. II (Official NASA Broadcast). Watch the replay
What rocket launched TROPICS-3?
Electron, flown by Rocket Lab. Electron spec sheet
Where did TROPICS-3 launch from?
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. Liftoff was May 26, 3:46 PM GMT+12 local time at the pad.
Did the booster land?
Booster 37 flew for the 1st time and was expended.
What orbit did TROPICS-3 reach?
TROPICS SV03, one of 4 catalogued objects, reached a 542 × 567 km orbit inclined 32.7°.
How many satellites did TROPICS-3 launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, none of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).