Posted: Fri, May 21, 2021, 4:46 PM ET (2046 GMT)
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket failed to reach orbit Saturday, the second failure in less than a year for the small launch vehicle. The Electron launched from Rocket Lab's New Zealand launch site at 7:11 am EDT (1111 GMT), delayed a little more than an hour by strong upper-level winds. The rocket's first stage performed as expected, but the single engine on the upper stage appeared to shut down seconds after ignition, and Rocket Lab confirmed a short time later that the launch failed. The rocket was carrying two imaging satellites for BlackSky. An Electron launch last July failed because of an electrical problem with the upper stage. The company hasn't disclosed additional details about the cause of the failure, but Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck vowed to fix the problem "and be safely back on the pad as soon as possible."

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