Rocket Lab counts down to second launch on Mahia Peninsula

Rocket Lab successfully launched its first rocket from Mahia. Photo / Supplied.

Rocket Lab has moved its second Electron launch vehicle to Mahia as it prepares for a second launch.

The rocket has been moved from Auckland to Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, where pre-flight checks will take place.

The company says test window dates were expected to be announced in "coming weeks".'

Rocket Lab's first launch in May was successful and the Electron got to space but didn't make it to orbit after range safety officials had to kill the flight.

The rocket, named "It's a Test", was terminated due to a "data loss time out", which was caused by misconfiguration of telemetry equipment owned and operated by a third-party contractor.

Four minutes into the flight, at an altitude of 224km, the equipment lost contact with the rocket temporarily and, according to standard operating procedures, range safety officials terminated the flight by cutting power to its engines.

The rocket disintegrated as it fell back into the Earth's atmosphere in the Southern Ocean.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said today the second rocket "Still Testing" was performing well through rigorous acceptance tests and the team is focused on final flight preparations.

"It's a great feeling to have another rocket on the pad. To be preparing for a second flight just months after an inaugural test is unprecedented for a new launch vehicle. It's a testament to Electron's robust design and the hard-working team behind it," Beck said.

Improved weather and natural disaster prediction, internet from space and real-time crop monitoring are just a fraction of the benefits of more frequent and cost-effective access to low Earth orbit.

"Still Testing" will carry an Earth-imaging Dove satellite for Planet and Lemur-2 satellites for Spire for weather mapping and ship traffic tracking.

Electron will go through a series of final checks and tests in the coming weeks before a yet-to-be-announced launch window opens.

As the flight is still a test, Rocket Lab anticipates several scrubs, or "postponements", during the second test flight attempt.

The New Zealand-founded company aims to put small satellites into space at a fraction the cost of established rivals. The uncrowded skies above Mahia make rapid repeat launches more viable than in other parts of the world.

The company has its headquarters in Los Angeles and is mainly funded by investors including Khosla Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, DCVC (Data Collective), Lockheed Martin and Promus Ventures.