Rocket Lab plays down weather

Rocket Lab says weather constraints will diminish during the commercial phase of its programme after yesterday scrubbing its launch for the third day running.

While a launch looked good for 2pm, the company said there was again a risk of triboelectrification in high cloud which could damage systems on the rocket. It will attempt a launch again today.

The company said the focus was now on testing rocket systems rather than the ability to deal with adverse weather.

Peter Beck, chief executive and founder of Rocket Lab, said that similar to Tuesday, high-altitude cloud created a risk of triboelectrification.

“Our team were able to fuel the vehicle and prepare it for flight, but worsening weather conditions meant we were forced to delay. We’ll have another go [on Thursday]. The team did a great job . . . and our operations are running smoothly.”

There was a target of a 2pm launch where there was a window clear of triboelectrification, but a front quickly moved up the country.

“We’d like to thank local residents, supporters and emergency services for their patience,” Beck said.

“Because this is a test launch, our weather constraints are more restrictive than they will be during commercial operations. We are focused on the best possible weather conditions for launch. This is so we can focus on testing the rocket as a priority, rather than its ability to deal with adverse weather conditions.”

“If the cloud is below -10C there’s a possibility of ice particles and if we travel through that cloud at greater than 3000 feet per second then we can generate a static charge and that’s enough to cause damage to the electronics of the vehicle,” he said.

When asked whether there was any “go fever” Beck said everybody in his team was “excited to get this one away” but also very disciplined.

“Nobody is trying to launch a rocket in a feverish kind of way. It is a methodical and clinical decision — either conditions are right or they’re not.”