Rocket Lab fuelling issue prompts emergency service response

A fuelling issue at a Rocket Lab dress rehearsal resulted in a emergency services response on Sunday, Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck says. Photo / Geoff Dale

A fuelling issue at a Rocket Lab dress rehearsal resulted in an emergency services response and activity on the company's landing pad on Mahia Peninsula being suspended for the day.

Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck said the company "experienced a minor fuelling issue on the pad today during a wet dress rehearsal" on Sunday.

"Our team is working through the data to ascertain the root cause. As per standard procedure, Fire and Emergency New Zealand is on site as a precautionary measure while the team closes out pad activities for the day."

Fire Emergency New Zealand has been approached for comment.

Earlier in the month Rocket Lab confirmed a 14-day window for its first fully commercial launch.

The US company, which launches from the Mahia Peninsula, confirmed on Wednesday an Electron satellite launch would have a window between April 20 and May 3.

It would deliver payloads for customers Spire Global and GeoOptics into orbit.

"We always set out to create a vehicle and launch site that could offer the world's most frequent launch capability and we're achieving that in record time," Beck said.