Rocket Lab is trying to launch the second time the Electron rocket, but so far without much success
Aerospace company Rocket Lab is making a second attempt to launch its experimental Electron rocket. This test launch is intended to confirm the possibility of using a rocket to send a small payload to Earth's orbit.
The launch of Electron is planned to be carried out from the launch pad in New Zealand. The company has a 10-day window for the launch, it opened on December 8. But it should be noted that not all the time is suitable for launching a rocket. Running can be done daily only during the 4-hour interval, which starts at 14:30 local time (3:30 Kyiv time).
Rocket Lab was ready to launch the missile from the very first day, and took the rocket to the launch pad on December 8. Considering the specifics of the test flight, the company intends to wait for the ideal launch conditions and only after fully making sure of the readiness of the missile. Only on December 11 there were favorable conditions for launching the missile, and on that day the first attempt of launch was planned. But, unfortunately, it had to be abandoned because of the worsened weather and orbital traffic. The second attempt was to be held on December 12. This time neither the weather nor the orbital traffic stopped the launch of the rocket. But something went wrong. A few seconds before the start, after the initiation of the ignition of the engines (16:52 on video), the missile computer interrupted the mission and the actual launch did not take place. The company intends to study the data, find out the reason for stopping the start-up procedure, and then decide on a new start date.
Source: The Verge
- The first launch of the Electron rocket took place in May this year and was partially successful. The missile systems were operated in the normal mode, but it was not possible to reach the given orbit.
- Electron is an ultra-light two-stage rocket. It is intended for launching small satellites into space. Usually they are run together with larger counterparts, if the startup limits allow. But this is not always convenient for small spacecraft owners. Eliminate this injustice and called ultralight rockets. According to preliminary data, Electron will be able to take out cargo weighing 150 kg to the solar synchronous orbit or up to 225 kg to low Earth orbit. The development of the Electron rocket was carried out for 4 years. It has a height of 55 feet (about 16.8 meters). For comparison, the height of the rocket SpaceX Falcon 9 is more than 200 feet (more than 60 meters).
