Private firm launches rocket from New Zealand

[Sunlei]

Source: Deutsche Welle

A New Zealand-US start-up has made history by launching a first rocket from a private launch site. The company, Rocket Lab, made the experimental craft out of carbon fiber and powered it with 3D-printed engines. The start-up company has offices in both New Zealand and the US state of California, and is financially backed by US giants like Lockheed Martin.

The vessel had a "great flight," Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said. He added that "reaching space in our first test puts us in an incredibly strong position to accelerate the commercial phase of our program."

Eventually, lightweight rockets could transport small satellites into orbit every week. Private businesses and other clients could then use such devices to monitor crops and the weather but also for "Internet from space, natural disaster prediction, up-to-date maritime data as well as search and rescue services," according to Beck.

Read more: http://www.dw.com/en/private-firm-launches-rocket-from-new-zealand/a-38980940

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A New Zealand-US start-up has made history by launching a first rocket from a private launch site. The company, Rocket Lab, made the experimental craft out of carbon fiber and powered it with 3D-printed engines.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Not that 'great'; it was meant to reach orbit, but didn't

“It was a great flight. We had a great first stage burn, stage separation, second stage ignition and fairing separation. We didn’t quite reach orbit and 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 programme, deliver our customers to orbit and make space open for business,” said CEO Peter Beck.
...
For “It’s A Test”, the rocket will be tasked with entering an 83 degree elliptical orbit of 300 x 500 km.

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/05/rocket-labs-electron-inaugural-flight-new-zealand/

[jmowreader]

2. It's a really great first flight

What usually happens when someone tries flying a liquid-fueled rocket for the first time is a huge explosion. Making the Karman Line in their first flight is fantastic.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. First flight of that model; they had a sub-orbital rocket they tested with a few years ago

See the article I linked to.