Get in here! Stream's starting any minute!
youtube.com
This is a small orbital rocket by Rocket Lab, a NZ/US company. They flew a suborbital test flight earlier this year. This will be the first test of the compete rocket with upper stage.
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If successful, this will be only the third ever orbital launch from the southern hemisphere!
Good thing there isn't any wind in New Zealand to delay the launch!
livestream placard just updated: action commences at 3:05
The stream timer finally updated. ~10 minutes until the stream starts.
They pushed it back another half hour.
Even SpaceX isn't this bad
This is literally their first orbital launch. SpaceX started trying to launch things in December 2005 (earlier, actually, since they originally started at Vandenberg but weren't allowed to try while a Titan was on the pad, but I've never been able to pin down the date), and first put something in orbit in 2008.
and their first livestream... from the ass end of New Zealand. SpaceX is practically in Hollywood, with lots of new media talent on board.
so why is NZ allowed to fire off ICBM's and noone cares but when NK does it everyone gets upset
Because we have no enemies and no nuclear warheads, in fact we have no warheads of any kind suitable for ballistic missiles
Rocket Lab is actually organized primarily as a US company, although the leadership is from New Zealand, where it launches the rockets.
It's live!
happening
If this thing blows up I will be sad
The cost to launch those satellites must've been dirt cheap. I wouldn't trust a company's first orbital launch and a rocket called "Still Testing" to get my payload to orbit.
It's a test flight, they only put a couple of cubesats on, because why not?
Ah bugger
FUCK
Aborted on ignition.
That was a very fancy abort.
any abort you can recycle is a good abort
>nature noises
>tiny launch pad on a cliff
This launch site is kino
Scrubbed for the day. Sorry guys, that's it.
ah well, another time perhaps
They've launched an Electron before, this is their second orbital attempt.
...
My mistake. Their earlier launch was only accidentally suborbital. Second stage lost telemetry shortly after separation and was blown up as a safety measure.
That's actually not true. Aside from Black Arrow there were also a few Scout launches from Kenya.