We go now to New Zealand and last week’s surprise launch that we learned about while we were recording. On July 29 at 0600 UTC, a Rocket Lab Electron launched the “It’s Getting Chile Up Here” mission, also called STP-27RM, from LC-1A at their Mahia Peninsula spaceport in New Zealand.

Onboard was the Monolith satellite from the United States Space Force. Its mission is to demonstrate the utility of a large sensor on a smaller spacecraft bus, focusing on the possible difficulties in spacecraft attitude control. Specifically, Monolith will carry a space-weather instrument package.

This was Electron’s return to flight after the failure of the previous launch in May 2021 seconds into the second stage flight. Rocket Lab recently disclosed that the failure was caused by a faulty igniter from “a previously undetectable failure mode within the ignition system that occurs under a unique set of environmental pressures and conditions”. The igniter failure caused interference with the signals coming from the launch vehicle flight computer, resulting in the engine gimbal pistons pushing the engine hard to one side and the engine automatically shutting down.

After the failure, Rocket Lab began an intense failure analysis program that was able to replicate the failure mode on the ground and implement corrective actions. Rocket Lab’s own team worked with the FAA to return to flight with a minimum of delay.

So, why does the FAA, a U.S. government agency, care about a New Zealand rocket? The answer is because Rocket Lab is legally incorporated in the USA with a wholly-owned subsidiary in New Zealand which actually does all the launching bits. Sensitive components such as the rocket engines and flight computers are manufactured in the U.S. at Rocket Lab’s facility in Huntington Beach, California, and shipped to New Zealand for integration with the rocket’s tankage which is manufactured in New Zealand.

The reason for all of these trans-Pacific shenanigans is ITAR and MCTR – International Traffic in Arms Restrictions and Missile Technology Control Regime – the U.S. laws that restrict the sale of militarily-sensitive technology and hardware so that it doesn’t end up in the hands of countries or organizations the US doesn’t like. Rocket engines and guidance systems fall under this law. In order to launch for the U.S. government (a significant market), Rocket Lab needs to be in compliance with these laws. They apply to any company owned by Americans even if they launch from outside of the U.S., which is why SpaceX will still need FAA permission for Starship launches from a converted oil rig even if it is in international waters.

Fortunately, this launch was successful, and the satellite was deployed into the planned orbit about an hour after launch. No first-stage recovery was attempted, though Rocket Lab did talk about future plans for recovery on the webcast.

This launch was originally planned to go from Rocket Lab’s new LC-2 pad in Wallops Island, Virginia. However, it was shipped halfway across the world to Rocket Lab’s main pad in New Zealand to avoid further delays in getting the satellite in orbit. Rocket Lab is still waiting for FAA and NASA approval for their Autonomous Flight Termination System for launches from the Wallops Island facility.

More Information

Rocket Lab Completes Anomaly Review, Next Mission on the Pad in July (Rocket Lab)

Monolith info page (Gunter’s Space Page)

Launch video