WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Look into the night sky at the right time and you might see what amounts to a giant disco ball shimmering and glinting back. Peter Beck, the New Zealander who founded California-based Rocket Lab, says he used most of the space aboard his test Electron rocket to house an object he has named the “Humanity Star.” The rocket successfully reached orbit on Sunday. The Humanity Star is expected to orbit the Earth for about nine months before it is pulled back into Earth’s gravity and burned upon re-entry into the atmosphere. Following the successful test launch, Rocket Lab hopes to begin commercial satellite launches soon. The company says the Humanity Star will be best seen in New Zealand after February and in the U.S. from March due to its changing orbital position.

Source: National Post January 24, 2018 17:14 UTC