Blastoff! NASA TROPICS hurricane satellites launched by Rocket Lab

A Rocket Lab Electron booster launched a pair of NASA Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) satellites from Mahai, New Zealand on May 7, 2023 (May 8 - local time). The first satellites from the constellations were original supposed to fly to space atop Astra's Rocket 3.3 booster but were lost when the launch failed. Credit: Rocket Lab