Satellite-Carrying Rocket

A rocket from the small-satellite launch firm Rocket Lab was unable to reach orbit within minutes of a successful takeoff from New Zealand on Saturday, the company said, losing its payload of seven small satellites it was intended to carry into space.

“An issue was experienced today during the launch of Rocket Lab that caused the loss of the vehicle,” the company said on Twitter, adding that more information will be shared as it becomes available.

“We deeply regret the customers on board Electron,” the Auckland, New Zealand-based company. Said, “The problem occurred late in the flight during the second stage of burns.”

Rocket Lab is one of a growing group of launch companies seeking to reduce the cost of sending shoebox-sized satellites into low Earth orbit, build smaller rockets, and reinvent traditional production lines to meet the growing demand for Useful load.

The rocket’s altitude peaked at 121 miles (195 km) approximately seven minutes after takeoff before rapidly declining, according to in-flight telemetry on the company’s live video broadcast.

Their goal was to send five small Earth-imaging satellites from Planet Labs, a microsatellite from Canon Electronics, and a CubeSat from the British company In-Space Missions to a synchronous orbit in the sun 310 miles above Earth.

The failed mission, the company’s 13th payload launch, had been named “Photos or it didn’t happen.”

“Although it is never the result we expect, the risk of a launch failure is one that Planet is always prepared for,” Planet Labs said in a statement Saturday, adding that it hoped to “fly back into the Electron” in the future.

.