100 launches! Rocket Lab sends Earth-observing satellite to orbit on milestone mission (photos)
Rocket Lab launched its 100th space mission shortly after midnight on Saturday (Nov. 14), sending a private Japanese Earth-observing satellite to orbit.
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An Electron rocket topped with a private Japanese Earth-observing satellite lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site on Saturday (Nov. 14) at 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 GMT; 6:30 p.m. local New Zealand time).
The mission, which Rocket Lab called "The Mountain God Rises," was a big one: It marked the 100th launch to date for the California-based company.
Rocket Lab launched for the first time in May 2017, sending the brand-new Electron up on a test flight from New Zealand. That effort failed, but Electron bounced back on its second-ever liftoff, delivering several cubesats to low Earth orbit (LEO) in January 2018.
In the years since, the 59-foot-tall (18 meters) Electron has become one of the most prolific and reliable rockets in the world, carrying small payloads to the final frontier for a variety of customers.
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