Rocket Lab successfully launched an Electron launch vehicle carrying five communications satellites on Saturday at 02:01 Moscow time from a site in New Zealand. This launch marks Rocket Lab’s return to active operations. The company, which has the second largest number of launches among private American companies after SpaceX, continues to strengthen its position in the market by developing a larger rocket to directly compete with Elon Musk’s firm.
Image source: Rocket Lab
Electron carried five communications satellites manufactured by the French startup Kineis with support from the French National Center for Space Research (CNES). The launch followed a canceled launch attempt on Thursday when the onboard computer aborted the launch after the countdown ended due to problems with ground systems.
The Long Beach, Calif.-based company has already completed 11 successful orbital missions this year. However, it still lags significantly behind SpaceX, which had about 90 launches in the same period. A year earlier, Rocket Lab suffered a major setback when the Electron rocket and its payload were lost shortly after liftoff, leading to a three-month grounding to allow a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident. Despite this, in 2023, Rocket Lab managed to carry out 10 launches. This figure made the company the second most frequently launched company among US space launch service providers.
Founded in New Zealand by Peter Beck, Rocket Lab is actively developing its technology in an effort to close the gap with the industry’s undisputed leader, SpaceX. The development of a more powerful launch vehicle is a key element of the company’s strategy to expand its presence in the commercial spaceflight market. Nasdaq-traded shares of Rocket Lab have posted an impressive 35% year-to-date gain. This fact indicates a positive perception of the company’s strategy by the financial community and its ability to compete in the high-tech space launch market.
In September, as part of a strategy to strengthen its position, Rocket Lab appointed a new chief operating officer, Frank Klein, formerly of Rivian Automotive. The move reflects Rocket Lab’s intention to apply automotive manufacturing expertise to the space industry, which could lead to optimization of the company’s manufacturing processes.