
Rocket Lab’s new Electron rocket did not reach orbit during its first flight test in May because a ground-equipment problem forced the flight to be ended early, the company announced Aug. 7.While the two-stage rocket made it into space after lifting off from a company launch site in New Zealand (Defense Daily, May 25), data-gathering equipment owned and operated by an independent contractor temporarily lost contact with the rocket four minutes into the flight, requiring range safety officials to terminate…