Hēki, a powerful superconductor electric rocket, was assembled in Seaview, Lower Hutt. Photo: Reece Baker / RNZ
It could be several days before the New Zealand experiment that was launched into space earlier this week reaches the International Space Station.
The small tech platform - Hēki - is designed to test propulsion using superconducting electromagnets. It launched from Cape Canaveral on Monday, watched by its New Zealand creators.
Chief scientist and engineer Randy Pollock said the cargo ship that Hēki was on was now "parked" at a lower orbit.
Engineers were attempting to fire the thruster, but it might be several days until that lined up with a chance to dock with the station, he said.
"While not common, these sorts of issues during spacecraft checkout are not rare either," said Pollock.
"Most of the time they can be addressed and the mission can continue with a slight delay."
Hēki has been in the works for five years, including nine months waiting in a queue to get on to a launch.
"Due to the rules of orbital mechanics, it might be several days before the Cygnus [cargo ship] and ISS are in the correct relative positions for the next rendezvous attempt."
It is the first NZ-made experiment bound for testing on the outside of the space station. The first one to be tested inside it went up last year.
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