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Rocket Lab Aborts Satellite Launch After Countdown Hits Zero

The Rocket Lab Mission Control room during the opening of the new Rocket Lab factory in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2018. Photographer: Phil Walter/Getty Images AsiaPac (Phil Walter/Photographer: Phil Walter/Getty )

(Bloomberg) -- An attempted rocket launch by Rocket Lab USA Inc. in New Zealand on Thursday ended with the company aborting the mission on the launchpad after the countdown reached zero. 

During ignition, the rocket’s flight computer aborted the launch on a ground systems sensor trigger and shut down the engines, the company said in a statement on X.

Rocket Lab was scheduled to launch five nanosatellites from Kineis, a startup backed by the French space agency.

“Electron, the launch pad, and Kineis’ payload all remain healthy,” Rocket Lab said, adding that people should “standby” for information on the next launch attempt.

(Adds reason for aborting launch in second paragraph.)

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