An anomaly occurred at Rocket Lab during the launch of a radar Earth observation satellite early Tuesday morning (September 19).
An Electron rocket carrying a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) spacecraft for California-based Capella Space lifted off from the Rocket Lab’s New Zealand site at 2:55 a.m. EDT (06:55 GMT; 6:55 p.m. New Zealand time) on Tuesday.
The Electron’s two stages separated as planned about 2.5 minutes after launch. But shortly afterwards something went wrong and the flight was terminated.
Related: Rocket Lab launches booster with pre-flown engine for the first time (video)
The launch manager reported an anomaly that led to the end of the mission. We will share more information as it becomes available.September 19, 2023
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Rocket Lab’s telemetry data, which the company provided during Tuesday’s livestream of the launch, showed the rocket’s upper stage decreasing in speed shortly after its single Rutherford engine was set to fire.
It could therefore be that the upper stage engine has suffered an ignition failure or premature shutdown, although this is just speculation. Rocket Lab has not identified an immediate or definitive cause, it said in a statement Post on X (formerly Twitter) that further information will be provided as it becomes available.
Tuesday’s mission, which the company called “We Will Never Let You Down,” was the ninth of the year and 41st overall. The anomaly destroyed a string of 19 consecutive successful launches; The company’s most recent failure occurred in May 2021.
“We Will Never Desert You” aimed to place one of Capella Space’s “Acadia” satellites into a circular orbit about 395 miles (635 kilometers) above Earth. Tuesday’s flight was the second in a four-launch contract that sent these advanced SAR satellites into the sky.
The first mission under this contract, “We Love the Nightlife” on August 23, involved an Electron with a used first stage engine. (The Electron’s first stage is powered by nine Rutherfords.) That was a big milestone for Rocket Lab, which is working to make the booster reusable.
The company also recovered the Electron’s first stage on “We Love the Nightlife” after gently lowering it to parachute into the ocean. “We Will Never Desert You” apparently did not include a pre-flown engine, nor was a rocket recovery attempt planned; Rocket Lab did not mention such plans before launch or during the webcast.