Test Flight
Rocket Lab(RL)CommercialThird-party contractor supporting the launch misconfigured ground equipment that translated radio signals from the rocket into data used by range safety officials. That caused “extensive corruption of received position data,†resulting in the data loss that led safety officials to trigger the rocket’s flight termination system.
This is the first test flight of the Electron rocket. Built and operated by Rocket Lab, Electron is meant to offer low-price launches for the small-sat market.
Orbital Attempt
#5,643
RL Mission
#1
Pad Launch
#1
Location Launch
#1
May 25, 2017, 4:20 AM
1 update
1:00 AM
Window Open
5:00 AM
Window Close
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 is a commercial spaceport located close to Ahuriri Point at the southern tip of Māhia Peninsula, on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is owned and operated by private spaceflight company Rocket Lab and supports launches of the company's Electron rocket for small satellites. With the launch of Electron on 25 May 2017, it became the first private spaceport to host an orbital launch attempt, and the first site in New Zealand to host an orbital launch attempt. With the Electron launch of 21 January 2018, it became the first private spaceport to host a successful orbital launch.
Timezone
Pacific/Auckland
Local Launch Time
May 25, 2017, 4:20 PM
Total Launches
78
Total Landings
17
Coordinates
-39.2608, 177.8659
