Videos: Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket lifts off for first time

Rocket Lab’s Electron commercial satellite launcher lifted off from New Zealand on its debut test flight Thursday and soared into space on its maiden mission.

The 55-foot-tall (17-meter) launcher did not reach orbit as intended, but Rocket Lab said the Electron successfully flew through the booster’s first stage burn, stage separation, second stage ignition and payload fairing separation.

The Electron is designed to loft CubeSats and other small satellites into orbit, and Rocket Lab already has launch contracts with NASA and several commercial customers.

These video clips provided by Rocket Lab show multiple views of the Electron lifting off from its commercial base in New Zealand, plus imagery captured by an on-board camera showing first stage separation, second stage ignition and the release of the rocket’s payload fairing.

Read our full story on the test launch for details.

Video credits: Rocket Lab

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