Successful launch for Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab has successfully launched its second rocket from Mahia Peninsula in Hawke’s Bay after months of fruitless attempts.
The company’s first commercial rocket, dubbed ‘‘It’s Business Time’’, took off at 4.50pm yesterday.
Rocket Lab launched its first Electron rocket, ‘‘Still Testing’’, in January but this is its first rocket with a commercial payload.
It’s Business Time had problems with a motor controller, which scrubbed the company’s launch window for June/july.
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is lifting six satellites and a technology demonstrator to a low Earth orbit.
The satellites are from Spire Global, Tyvak Nano-satellite Systems and Fleet Space Technologies, as well as an educational payload from the Irvine Cube Sat STEM Program, and a drag sail technology demonstrator designed and built by High Performance Space Structure Systems GMBH.
The launch was commanded from Rocket Lab’s new rocket factory in Auckland’s Mt Wellington.
The 7500-square-metre mass production site will add to Rocket Lab’s existing production facility and headquarters in California.
Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck said the company had expanded its global production to launch an Electron rocket to orbit every week by 2020.
‘‘Every detail of the Rocket Lab launch system has been designed to provide small satellites with rapid and reliable access to space,’’ Beck said.
Electron is a two-stage rocket, capable of delivering payloads of 150 kilograms.