Engineering news
The first test flight by the Los Angeles and New Zealand-based company Rocket Lab successfully made it into space. Although the Electron rocket did not reach orbit, it still marks an important step in the journey towards cheaper and more regular launches.
“Our focus with the Electron has been to develop a reliable launch vehicle that can be manufactured in high volumes,” said Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck in a statement. “Our ultimate goal is to make space accessible by providing an unprecedented frequency of launch opportunities.”
The disposable rocket is 17m long, and each launch costs around $5m, making it smaller and cheaper than the rockets currently used to launch satellites. It will eventually be able to carry loads of up to 150kg into orbit. In contrast, the Falcon rocket used by another private space company, SpaceX, is 70m long and carry 22,800kg.
The Electron test flight did not carry any cargo, but was loaded with sensor equipment to help engineers understand how it performed. The test, which has been four years in the planning was launched from New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. It is the first of three, with commercial operations set to start towards the end of the year.
“It was a great flight,” said Beck, after the rocket failed to reach orbit. “We'll be investigating why, however reaching space in our first test puts us in an incredibly strong position to accelerate the commercial phase of our program, deliver our customers to orbit and make space open for business.”
New Zealand has never had a space programme, but is ideally placed for the more frequent launches desired by Rocket Lab because of the open seas to its south, and a relatively low amount of air traffic. In the United States, boats and flights have to be re-routed for most rocket launches.