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New Zealand's Rocket Lab launches first rocket into orbit from Māhia Peninsula
- askvictor 9y agoThe first stage seems to be very vertical compared to other launches; any explanation why?
- Gravityloss 9y agoSmall rockets suffer more from drag than bigger ones, because there is more frontal area per mass. Thus it makes sense to get out of the atmosphere very directly. It's also why small rockets look very skinny. Or maybe it's related to the launch range. Or something else. These are just guesses.
- bartkmq 9y agoWorth noting it's also the first rocket using electric fuel pumps instead of turbopumps. To optimize the weight they also drop the batteries once they get empty.