New Zealand aerospace company Rocket Lab is counting down to
the historic launch of a space-bound rocket from Great
Mercury Island.
The launch from the private island, off the Coromandel
Peninsula, in about a fortnight will be the first time in the
southern hemisphere a privately owned company has launched a
rocket to space.
Rocket Lab is holding online auctions both for premium
viewing spots on the island and for payload space on the
rocket.
Chief executive Peter Beck said the rocket, Atea-1, had a 2kg
payload capacity and expected interest from commercial
parties keen to send products or services into space, or
people wanting to send personal mementos.
Mr Beck said the project would give the global scientific
community the first practical alternative to conventional
rockets at significantly lower cost, as it could carry
miniature scientific equipment.
But the coming launch will be the first in a series where the
primary payload will be instrumentation measuring the
machine's performance.
The small rocket will use a new low-emission hybrid fuel
technology.
It will travel at Mach 5 to an altitude of 120 kilometres --
20km on from where space starts -- then return to Earth in a
sub-orbital ballistic arc, to be recovered from the sea.
Launch week begins on November 30 and the actual launch day
will be dependent on weather conditions.
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