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2017 · Rocket Lab

It's a Test

failureElectron | It's a Test

This is the first test flight of the Electron rocket. Built and operated by Rocket Lab, Electron is meant to offer low-price launches for the small-sat market.

Overview

Date / time
May 25, 2017 at 04:20 AM UTC
Outcome
failure
Launch site
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A
Mission
It's a Test
Mission type
Test Flight
Orbit achieved
Low Earth Orbit
FailureThird-party contractor supporting the launch misconfigured ground equipment that translated radio signals from the rocket into data used by range safety officials. That caused “extensive corruption of received position data,” resulting in the data loss that led safety officials to trigger the rocket’s flight termination system.
Launch vehicle
Electron →
Launch provider
Rocket Lab →