Rocket Lab is gearing up for its 50th rocket launch from the Mahia Peninsula, which the company says has become “a world leader” destination for launches into space.
Rocket Lab celebrated its first rocket launch in May 2017 at its spectacular launch
Lift-off: Rocket Lab to celebrate 50th rocket launch from Mahia
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A rocket launch from the Mahia Peninsula with Rocket Lab's 18m-tall Electron rocket. Photo / Rocket Lab
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Rocket Lab senior communications manager Murielle Baker said it was “a fantastic achievement for the team”.
“We’re grateful to the Mahia and Hawke’s Bay communities for supporting us from Electron’s very first launch,” she said.
“Together we’ve made New Zealand a world leader in launches to space.”
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Unfortunately, founder Sir Peter Beck won’t be on hand for the milestone launch, as he is in the US.
Rocket Lab, which has its headquarters in the US and boasts a large base in Auckland, is currently developing an even bigger rocket, the 43m-tall Neutron rocket.
That rocket won’t be used in New Zealand and a brand new launch pad is being built for it in the US (Launch Complex 3).
Despite that, Baker said Mahia would continue to be an important site for the company’s future, with its Electron rocket.
“Rocket Lab’s centre of gravity is in New Zealand and Launch Complex 1 [in Mahia] will always be an important part of that.”
Baker said the company was proud of its support of the region over the years as well as its mission achievements.
“Mahia has played a key role in using space to improve life on Earth, with missions launched from LC-1 including hurricane tracking satellites for Nasa, a climate change monitoring mission that measures ice loss from the Arctic and Antarctica, launches with satellites built by New Zealand and international students, and a mission to the moon.”
Rocket Lab launches have a strong following in Hawke’s Bay with the most passionate fans known as “rocket chasers”.
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Avid rocket chaser Cameron Wood, who lives in Napier and runs the HB Rocket Watchers Facebook page, has barely missed a launch and loves to head down to Napier’s beachfront to witness and photograph them.
“I think it is an absolute privilege that we get to see something like this – humanity’s access to space.”
He said his favourite launch was an easy choice – the Capstone mission in June 2022.
“They launched for Nasa and went to the moon to chart a new orbit for a future space station around the moon.”
He said every launch was unique and worth witnessing and photographing.
“For starters, you have got the different trajectories and angles [the rocket] is going at.
“If it goes east it will give you one visual, and if it goes south it will give you a long arc best viewed from Napier.”
He encouraged people to head down to the beach or coast to catch the next launch, as night launches are particularly spectacular.
“Sitting on the beach you will have a lovely time regardless, even if it doesn’t launch who doesn’t like sitting on the beach?”
Morere Lodge, near Mahia, is close to the official viewing site for Rocket Lab launches, at the end of Blucks Pit Rd in Nūhaka.
As such, Morere Lodge co-owner Julie Redman said they get visitors “from all over” coming to stay to witness the launches.
She said they didn’t get guests for every launch, but it was fairly common.
“It’s quite a neat atmosphere [down at the viewing site] with all the people sitting in the sand dunes waiting for the launch.”
In 2021, Rocket Lab became a public-listed company on the stock market in the US. The company has enjoyed steady increases to its stock price this year.
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.
