Next Rocket Lab launch: satellite for US Missile Defence, moon prep 9 Feb, 2021 09:27 PM 8 minutes to read Rocket Lab's Moon mission: The NZ-based staff describe how they'll get a NASA satellite into lunar orbit. Video / Brett Phibbs / Jed Bradley Rocket Lab's Moon mission: The NZ-based staff describe how they'll get a NASA satellite into lunar orbit. Video / Brett Phibbs / Jed Bradley Rocket Lab's next launch will carry another military payload, and see further refinement of the 'Photon' platform that will help ferry a NASA satellite to the moon later this year. The payload for the "They Go Up So Fast" mission scheduled for a mid-March launch from Mahia, will include, a "technology demonstrator for the US Army's Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) through launch integration and program management services provider, TriSept," Rocket Lab said in a statement (see full manifest foot of story).