Tracking System Glitch Delays Rocket Lab's 1st Commercial Electron Launch

The private spaceflight company Rocket Lab called off the commercial launch debut of Electron rocket in New Zealand early Saturday (June 23) due to an issue with a tracking dish. The private spaceflight company Rocket Lab called off the commercial launch debut of its Electron rocket early Saturday (June 23) due to a tracking system issue. Rocket Lab initially aimed to launch the Electron rocket at 8:30 p.m. Friday EDT (02:30 p.m. Saturday local time/0030 GMT) from the company's seaside Launch Complex 1 on Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand. But cold temperatures delayed the launch at the opening its flight window, then a tracking dish problem cropped up. Rocket Lab was unable to solve that tracking system issue in time to launch during the mission's 4-hour launch window.