26 May 2018

Rocket Lab sets new date for first commercial launch

2:00 pm on 26 May 2018

Rocket Lab has just set new dates for its first fully commercial satellite launch.

Rocket Lab electron rocket

Rocket Lab electron rocket Photo: Youtube / Rocket Lab screenshot

The blast-off from the Mahia Peninsula will be between 23 June and 6 July.

It will carry five small satellites to a low Earth orbit.

The mission was postponed from April because of problems with a pump motor inside the engines.

During the stand down, Rocket Lab added a couple more satellites to the original payload of three mini satellites

Now, it'll also include a research satellite built by students and a special satellite designed to be dragged out of orbit.

Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck told the Verge website he has no spare launch slots this year, and extra launches will be added in 2019.

The next flight after June will carry 11 tiny satellites for NASA.