Rocket launch pad for US

Auckland: Space launch company Rocket Lab plans to open a second launch site in the United States to complement its Mahia Peninsula pad in New Zealand.

It was considering four sites on both the east and west coasts and would make a final decision in August, the company said yesterday.

Founder and chief executive Peter Beck, formerly of Invercargill, said in a statement that launching from the United States ‘‘adds an extra layer of flexibility for our government and commercial customers’’. — Reuters