Rocket Lab plans second test launch
Rocket Lab will try to launch its second Electron test rocket again over nine days from next Saturday.
The New Zealand-born aerospace company tried to launch the rocket named ‘‘Still Testing’’ from the Ma¯hia Peninsula before Christmas last year.
However, strong wind high in the atmosphere, a power fault, and too much liquid oxygen feeding into the rocket’s engine obstructed multiple launch attempts.
The company’s founder, Peter Beck, remains realistic. He said he and his team of engineers expected to call off a few launch attempts again over the nineday window.
‘‘Once again, we’re expecting to scrub multiple times as we wait for perfect conditions and make sure everything on the vehicle is performing as it should.’’
For the 17-metre carbon-fibre rocket to launch successfully, 30,000 data points from sensors on the rocket need to align, and weather conditions must be perfect. If successful, the Still Testing rocket will carry three satellites into space and release them into orbit.
It is the first attempt to do so from New Zealand.
One of the satellites will take images of the earth for United States company Planet Labs.
The other two will capture weather and ship tracking data for Spire Global.
Rocket Lab plans to hold three test rocket launches before it operates commercially to carry satellites into orbit frequently, at a cost significantly lower than that of its competitors.
Its first test rocket in May last year saw lift-off, although it failed to reach orbit.
Timing for the first launch attempt begins at 2.30pm on January 20.
If scrubbed, further launch attempts will be made daily between 2.30pm and 6.30pm until Sunday, January 28.
Launch attempts will be streamed live on the company’s website 15 minutes before an expected lift-off time.