Space company Rocket Lab experienced an issue during the launch of a satellite from New Zealand, leading to the termination of the mission. The Electron rocket, carrying a satellite for Capella Space, was launched from the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. The rocket successfully completed its first-stage burn and stage separation as planned, but encountered an issue approximately 2 minutes and 30 seconds into the flight, resulting in the mission’s failure and the loss of the Acadia SAR satellite.

Rocket Lab expressed deep apologies to its partner, Capella Space, for the mission’s loss. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the incident, and Rocket Lab is cooperating with the agency to determine the cause of the problem. This launch was the company’s 41st mission, and despite previous launch failures, Rocket Lab has successfully launched 171 satellites.

Rocket Lab stated its commitment to identifying and swiftly resolving the issue, implementing corrective actions, and returning to the launch pad in the near future. As a result of the mishap, the company has postponed its next mission until the necessary corrective actions have been implemented.