Rocket Lab aborts New Zealand launch of Electron rocket
by Chris Benson
Washington DC (UPI) Sep 18, 2024

Rocket Lab was set to launch an Electron rocket with 25 new satellites in what would have been the U.S.-based company's 53rd liftoff.

That is, until the countdown clock hit T-0. At that point, Rocket Lab aborted the launch. There was no immediate word on rescheduling.

The mission, nicknamed "Kinéis Killed the RadIOT Star,' initially had been delayed from Sept. 16-17 due to poor weather.

The Rocket Lab Electron rocket was scheduled to launch the Kinéis Mission 2 at 11 a.m. NZST, or 7 p.m. EDT, on Wednesday at Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.

It was set to be the 53rd flight of the Electron rocket, and the second of five dedicated flights on behalf of Kinéis, a French Internet of Things (IoT) company.

In June, the first mission styled as "No Time Toulouse" saw a successful launch.

When the launch is accomplished, the Electron and the Curie upper stage will add five more satellites to Kinéis' planned 25-satellite constellation above Earth. It will bring the total number of satellite's launched by Rocket Lab to 192.

Rocket Lab in March successfully launched a string of secret NRO spy satellites from Virginia.

That was followed in April by its launch into orbit with solar sail technology by NASA from the same New Zealand launch pad.

Related Links
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com