The launch site is a homecoming for the company (Image: Rocket Lab)
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ARE Kiwis about to fly? New Zealand looks set to become the first country to host a private launch site for orbital rockets.
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Rocket Lab, a firm founded in New Zealand but now based in the US, will on Kaitorete Spit near Christchurch, and plans to send the first payload into orbit by the end of the year.
Orbital launches from state-owned sites have waiting times of up to a year and are too costly for many space ventures, says Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck. 鈥淵ou pretty much have to write a cheque for a billion dollars,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hat would happen if you removed a zero off the end of that?鈥� Rocket Lab is aiming to make 100 launches a year, each costing under $5 million.
聯You pretty much have to pay a billion dollars to use a state launch site. What if you could remove a zero?聰
But why New Zealand? From the south of the country, Rocket Lab will be able to reach a variety of valuable orbital slots, and air traffic is low so delays will be rare, Beck says.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淟ift-off down under鈥�