Rocket Lab aborts New Zealand launch of Electron rocket with satellite mission

Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Rocket Lab was set Wednesday to launch an Electron rocket with a payload of five satellites into space, but the mission was aborted at the last moment.

The California-based company said in a statement that the rocket's flight computer aborted the launch by shutting down its engines when the countdown hit T-0 over a ground system sensor having been triggered.

"Electron, the launch pad and Kineis' payload all remain healthy," it said.

It said the launch had experienced "a safe on-pad abort at T-0."

The launch had been scheduled for 11 a.m. NZST, or 7 p.m. EDT, on Wednesday from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.

The mission, nicknamed "Kinéis Killed the RadIOT Star," initially had been delayed from overnight Monday due to poor weather.

It was set to be the 53rd flight of the Electron rocket, and the second of five dedicated flights on behalf of Kinéis, a French Internet of Things company and satellite operator.

In a statement from earlier this month, it said the window for its second launch was 14 days that began Wednesday.

In June, the first mission styled as "No Time Toulouse" saw a successful launch.

When the launch occurs, the Electron and the Curie upper stage will add five more satellites to Kinéis' planned 25-satellite constellation above Earth. It will bring the total number of satellite's launched by Rocket Lab to 192.

Kinéis expects all its satellites to be launched into space by early next year.

Rocket Lab in March successfully launched a string of secret NRO spy satellites from Virginia.

That was followed in April by its launch into orbit with solar sail technology by NASA from the same New Zealand launch pad.