Rocket Lab says equipment glitch behind maiden launch failure

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Rocket Lab, a Silicon Valley-funded space launch company, said a contractor's error was to blame for its maiden flight failing to reach orbit in May, but that the problem had been fixed ahead of another planned launch due to take place in the next two months.

The Los Angeles and Auckland-based firm, which is aiming to build up to weekly commercial launches, had to terminate its first flight four minutes in when ground equipment lost contact with the rocket, the firm said in a statement late on Monday.

After analyzing thousands of pieces of data, Rocket Lab said in an emailed statement that equipment supplied by an unnamed contractor had a glitch that stopped it conveying important information from the battery-powered rocket to safety officials monitoring the launch.

Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck poses alongside a Rutherford rocket engine in Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 20, 2015. /Reuters Photo

"It was disappointing to see the flight terminated in essence due to an incorrect tick box," said Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck in the statement, adding that the rocket's failure to reach orbit had nothing to do with the rocket itself.

The successful launch of a low-cost rocket is an important step in the commercial race to bring down financial and logistical barriers to space while also making New Zealand an unlikely space hub.

The rocket had soared 224 km (139 miles), reaching space, before Rocket Lab ended the flight and the vehicle burnt up when re-entering Earth's atmosphere.

Rocket Lab said the equipment problem had been fixed and it was preparing for the second of its three test launches before starting commercial operations at the beginning of 2018.

(Source: Reuters)

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