Space Commerce

Rocket Lab Launch Failure Highlights Continuing SpaceX Dominance of Launch Market

By Craig Bamford

SpaceRef

September 22, 2023

Filed under Electron Rocket, Falcon 9, Rocket Lab, SpaceX

Rocket Lab Launch Failure Highlights Continuing SpaceX Dominance of Launch Market — The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule soars upward after lifting off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14, 2022.

Observers are still waiting to learn what happened with Rocket Lab’s most recent launch mission. As SpaceRef previously reported, the mission, “We Will Never Desert You,” had an anomaly after first stage separation. The anomaly took place around 2 minutes and 30 seconds into the flight, which began at 2:55 AM EDT on September 19th. The rocket, and its payload from Capella Space, were lost.

Craig Bamford

Craig is a technology journalist with a strong focus on space-related startups, business, and pop culture. He started working in science & technology media in 2016, and began writing about the Canadian space sector in 2017 for SpaceQ. He is a graduate of the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, where he specialized in international conflict analysis and conflict resolution. He lives in Toronto.