Gisborne Herald
  • Gisborne Herald Home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Gisborne
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Hawke's Bay

Media

  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Home / Gisborne Herald

NZDF payload on rocket launched in US

Gisborne Herald
8 Apr, 2024 08:15 PMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

RNZ picture

RNZ picture

The New Zealand Defence Force is unable to confirm or deny it intends to send a military payload into space from Rocket Lab’s Māhia spaceport.

This is after the NZDF last week revealed it had launched its first ever payload into orbit on board a Rocket Lab vehicle launched from the United States.

The Gisborne Herald queried why the launch (named Korimako) took place from the US.

“The launch was entirely funded by the United States and the US chose the launch provider,” an NZDF spokesperson told The Herald.

“The payload sends out a standard, repeating test sequence on communication channels in response to commands sent through the host satellite’s telemetry, tracking and command link.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The spokesperson confirmed there was one more planned payload launch as part of this research activity, due by the end of the year, “but we can’t comment on the launch details or provider at this stage”.

The US satellite hosting the payload is about the size of a briefcase and is orbiting the earth every 90 minutes about 515 kilometres above the ground, which means it cannot be seen with the naked eye.

“A team of scientists from the NZDF’s Defence Science and Technology (DST) will monitor and interact with Korimako via our Whangaparaoa ground station, north of Auckland.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Initial tests indicate that Korimako survived the launch and is operating as expected,” an NZDF media statement said following the launch.

“Our research aims to build practical experience in space science and technology, test processes for New Zealand Government space operations and generate knowledge to enable future NZDF and wider government space development.”

The payload was launched on the same mission that also deployed a research satellite for the US spy agency the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

Rocket Lab previously launched four NRO missions from Launch Complex 1 at Māhia — two in 2020 and two in 2022.

Last year the company opened a second launch facility in the US specifically for launches comprising US government payloads.

Two pieces of legislation, New Zealand’s first National Security Strategy (NSS) and the National Space Policy, also allow military payloads to be launched from New Zealand.

The NSS, like the space policy, reiterated that all payloads launched from New Zealand must comply with the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act 2017 and all other New Zealand legislation, including the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act 1987.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Gisborne Herald

Gisborne Herald

Nāti Growth marketing mānuka honey products to UAE and Europe

Gisborne Herald

Kiwi couple hit centenarian milestone with royal greetings

Gisborne Herald

How Gisborne plans to engage youth voters in the local body elections


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Gisborne Herald

Nāti Growth marketing mānuka honey products to UAE and Europe
Gisborne Herald

Nāti Growth marketing mānuka honey products to UAE and Europe

Ngāti Porou's commercial arm has high ambitions for its new brand launch worldwide.

18 Jul 06:00 PM
Kiwi couple hit centenarian milestone with royal greetings
Gisborne Herald

Kiwi couple hit centenarian milestone with royal greetings

18 Jul 05:00 PM
How Gisborne plans to engage youth voters in the local body elections
Gisborne Herald

How Gisborne plans to engage youth voters in the local body elections

18 Jul 06:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Gisborne Herald
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Gisborne Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP