29 Jun 2019

Rocket Lab launches satellites into orbit

7:56 pm on 29 June 2019

Rocket lab has successfully launched a rocket from the Mahia Peninsula, sending seven satellites into space.

It's the seventh Electron rocket launched by the New Zealand company, and the third this year.

Just shy of an hour after the 4.30pm lift off, the seven satellites were successfully offloaded and sent into precise individual orbits.

Some of the satellites on board belong to the US military, the Melbourne space programme, and Earth imagery company BlackSky.

The mission took the total number of satellites deployed by Rocket Lab to 35, retaining its 100 percent success rate.

Rocket Lab's chief executive Peter Beck described the mission as "flawless".

The company's services are fully-booked for the remainder of the year, and it plans to scale up to a launch every two weeks in 2020.