William Mook wrote:

On Friday, May 26, 2017 at 12:55:36 PM UTC+12, Fred J. McCall wrote:
wrote:


"Rocket Lab, a California-based spaceflight company with its roots in New Zealand,
just launched its two-stage Electron rocket for the first time. The small launch
vehicle successfully lifted off from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia
Peninsula of New Zealand at 12:20 a.m. ET on Thursday May 25—4:20 p.m. New Zealand
time. The successful liftoff marks the first time an orbital-class rocket has been
launched from a private launch facility."

See:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/spac...-first-flight/


It did not, however, reach orbit and it was expected to, so there's a
failure investigation going on.


https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/rocket...on-ck-p-200954

It was a test launch and operated as it was intended.


Not according to the head of the company, it didn't.

http://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-reac...ectron-launch/

snip Imaginary MookSpew


--
"Ignorance is preferable to error, and he is less remote from the
truth who believes nothing than he who believes what is wrong."
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