Rocket Lab to Launch OroraTech's Wildfire Detection Satellites on Electron Rocket

Rocket Lab is preparing to launch its Electron rocket carrying eight wildfire detection satellites for OroraTech. The "Finding Hot Wildfires Near You" mission will lift off from Pad B at Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, with a 30-minute launch window opening at 11:30 a.m. EST on March 26. The three-stage rocket is scheduled to deploy its payloads approximately one hour after launch. The satellites will join OroraTech's constellation of thermal infrared imaging spacecraft, which monitor wildfires and hotspots globally. These Phase 1 satellites will orbit at a 97-degree inclination, 340 miles above Earth. OroraTech aims to expand the constellation to over 100 satellites within five years. This launch is Rocket Lab's fifth of 2025, with another mission, DART AE, scheduled soon to test hypersonic drone technology for the U.S. Defense Department using the HASTE vehicle.