NASA picks Rocket Lab for three Electron science launches

NASA selected Rocket Lab to fly three Electron missions for two science programs, the company announced June 24-25. Two back-to-back launches will carry the twin CubeSats of the PolSIR ice-cloud mission no earlier than June 2027, and a separate launch will loft the TSIS-2 solar-irradiance satellite in early 2027, all from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. NASA cited Electron's flight heritage across more than 90 launches and its deployment accuracy in making the awards, which add to Rocket Lab's government backlog.