A private company Rocket Lab, founded by a native of New Zealand, Peter Beck, conducted the first tests of its carrier rocket light class “Electron” in may of this year. The first commercial launch (combined with the second trial) was scheduled for today, but it failed. It had urgently to stop literally after a couple of seconds after the earn engines.
Rocket “Electron” is intended for commercial launches of micro – and nano-satellites and is designed for payloads up to 150 pounds, if it is a sun-synchronous orbit altitude of 500 kilometers, or 250 pounds when output to low-earth orbit. Guide Rocket Lab hoped before the end of 2017 to begin the production of cube-Sats launches, with the total cost per launch of about 6.5 million dollars. The first commercial launch was put into orbit three satellites, whose size does not exceed a Shoe box.
The launch was performed from the launch pad, located on the Peninsula of Mahia (Northern part of the Eastern coast of Iceland). The command center still does not disclose the official reason for the cancellation of the launch, as experts are still studying the data. What exactly happened with the engines will show only a comprehensive analysis of the situation. However, the staff Rocket Lab look to the future with optimism and are confident that the re-launch of “Electron” will be made very soon. Possibly even this Thursday.
In may of this year, Rocket Lab has managed to bring the rocket “Electron” in orbit during a test run, but immediately after that, with her, the connection was lost in the incomprehensible result of a failure in the communication devices. To give up the management of the company does not intend, so the team engineers will continue to improve the design of the rocket, and the equipment with which it is equipped. It is possible that Elon musk will soon be a serious competitor. Nobody denies Rocket Lab to develop missiles of the heavier class.
The new Zealand launch of the rocket with three satellites failed
Sergey Grey