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Rocket Lab “In Focus” mission ready to launch after scrubbed first attempt

The Rocket Lab Electron is pictured ahead of a previous launch attempt from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. (Rocket Lab)

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On Wednesday, October 21, Rocket Lab held a launch countdown ahead of the fifteenth mission of its small rocket, Electron. The mission nicknamed “In Focus,” was slated to take off from the company’s primary launch pad at Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. Ultimately, the launch attempt was scrubbed due to an off-nominal oxygen sensor.

Rocket Lab did not immediately disclose a new targeted launch date, but did state that the launch window for the “In Focus” mission extended for nearly two-weeks. Rocket Lab founder and chief executive officer, Peter Beck, said in a Twitter post that, “the team’s taking the time to make sure it’s just the sensor and nothing else.” Beck also stated that weather moving into the area could pose a challenge for finding a new acceptable launch date.

Just two days later, Rocket Lab announced that a second launch attempt of the rideshare mission supporting ten Earth-observation satellites would occur at 5:14pm EDT (21:14 UTC) Wednesday, October 28. Should the second attempt be thwarted by uncooperative weather, daily opportunities to launch Electron are available until November 3.

What’s on board:

The fifteenth overall flight of Electron and fifth mission of 2020, is a rideshare mission that supports payloads for Canon Electronics Inc. and Earth-imaging services provider Planet. The payload, carefully mounted on the Rocket Lab Electron Kick Stage, consists of one nine SuperDove Flock 4e Planet microsatellites inside of Rocket Lab’s protective Maxwell payload dispensers. The entire stack is topped by Canon Electronics Inc.’s CE-SAT-IIB satellite procured by mission management provider Spaceflight Inc. All ten payloads are securely fixed atop the Electron Kick Stage.

The payload of Rocket Lab’s fifteenth Electron mission nicknamed “In Focus,” is photographed during final integration prior to being encapsulated inside of the protective payload fairing. (Rocket Lab)

The Electron Kick Stage – a capable extra stage on Electron – is designed to circularize orbits and deploy multiple payloads to independent and precise destinations. The Kick Stage is powered by a small, but powerful Curie engine. All ten of the satellite payloads aboard the “In Focus” mission are expected to be delivered to a 500km morning-crossing Sun Synchronous Orbit.

Prior to flight, the payload was encapsulated inside of the Electron’s protective payload fairing. In traditional fashion, Rocket Lab outfitted the fairing with the mission patch artwork created specifically for Electron’s fifteenth “In Focus” mission.

The Rocket Lab Electron protective payload fairing is pictured during final encapsulation ahead of the first launch attempt the the fifteenth mission, “In Focus.” (Rocket Lab)

After encapsulation inside the fairing, the payload was integrated with the Electron first-stage booster. After a short trip from the assembly facility, Electron was raised vertically at Launch Complex 1 to complete a successful wet dress rehearsal – a standard pre-flight run-through of all launch procedures. The purpose of the wet dress rehearsal is to run through all of the launch day procedures including filling the rocket with RP-1 – a rocket grade kerosene – and liquid oxygen.

Launch teams conducted the practice launch on Thursday, October 8 proceeding through all countdown milestones right up until T-0 and engine ignition. This process ensures that the vehicle and launch teams are ready for flight. It also provides an opportunity to catch and address any anomalies that may arise prior to launch day.

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The fully fueled Rocket Lab Electron rocket is pictured in screen capture of the first launch attempt of the “In Focus” mission on October 21, 2020. (Rocket Lab)

What to expect on launch day:

Approximately four hours ahead of the launch attempt Rocket Lab will once again return Electron to vertical launching position at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. In the time prior to the fueling of the rocket, safety checks of the launch complex will be conducted and marine hazard zones and airspace will be closed and secured to all traffic. Fueling of the rocket will begin just two hours ahead of the launch attempt.

A mission profile provided by Rocket Lab outlines the various mission milestones of Electron’s fifteenth mission, “In Focus.” (Rocket Lab)

At T-0 Electron will be propelled to space by nine 3D-printed Rutherford electro-turbopump engines. Approximately 2 minutes and 34 seconds after liftoff Electron’s first stage will separate while the second stage engine ignites. Unique to the Electron, a “hot swap” of the batteries powering the electro-turbopump of the second stage will be performed – swapping out the power source of expelled batteries with new ones – at 6 minutes and 32 seconds after liftoff. The second stage is expected to arrive at an initial parking orbit approximately 8 minutes and 54 seconds after liftoff.

A brief ten seconds later the Kick Stage will separate from the second stage. Approximately 51 minutes and 06 seconds after liftoff the Kick Stage’s Curie engine will ignite to propel the payloads to their final circular Sun-Synchronous Orbits. Payload deployment is expected at the 60-minute mark after liftoff.

Rocket Lab will provide a live hosted webcast of the second launch attempt of the “In Focus” mission on Wednesday, October 28 on the company’s YouTube channel approximately fifteen minutes before liftoff. Should a scrub occur, Rocket Lab will announce a new targeted launch date on the company’s social media channels.

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Tesla removed from Charlotte’s approved EV list due to ‘safety issues’

City reps say it’s not because of Elon Musk’s political involvement, but instead because of safety issues.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has been removed from the Charlotte, North Carolina, City Council’s list of pre-approved electric vehicles that the city can purchase.

It’s not because of Elon Musk, Democratic council member LaWana Mayfield said, who urged her colleagues to remove Tesla. Instead, she claims it is because of “safety issues.”

She said (via WFAE):

“So it is not just the particular owner of this product. It is the fact that this product has been in multiple lawsuits because of safety issues, and there are multiple concerns.”

Recent data from Tesla shows that its vehicles are about half as likely to be involved in an accident when being driven normally. When Autopilot technology is used, it is about ten times safer than the average driver in the U.S., statistically.

Tesla Vehicle Safety Report shows Autopilot is 10x better than humans

Republican City Council member Ed Driggs stood up for Tesla, saying that:

“I think we just set a dangerous precedent if we have reasons that aren’t related to the cost and the performance of purchased items for excluding them. We already have Teslas in the fleet.”

If they’re so dangerous, why are they already in the fleet?

The NHTSA also shows that Ford is the most recalled car company in 2025, with 81 total recalls. Tesla has just five for the year.

Driggs said to Mayfield during the meeting:

“We are not identifying names on this list. You are singling out one name on this list for political reasons. You don’t have enough data on Tesla compared to the other car companies to suggest they shouldn’t be here. I object to trying to disguise this as anything other than a politically motivated desire to not have this name on this list.”

Tesla was successfully removed by a 6-3 vote. Democrats Danté Anderson, Malcolm Graham, Renee Johnson, Victoria Watlington, and Tiawana Brown supported Tesla’s removal. Republican Edwin Peacock, along with Driggs and Democrat Dimple Ajmera, all voted no on removing Tesla.

The City of Charlotte will buy 45 new electric vehicles, and Teslas would likely be the best option. Many local law enforcement agencies across the U.S. have utilized them and have shown that the vehicles contribute to massive maintenance and cost of ownership reductions due to the lack of overall upkeep.

Tesla police fleet is saving taxpayers $80k per year on fuel costs: report

This is not the first time that a city in the U.S. has chosen to go in a different direction with its EV fleet plans. Tesla was chosen over Ford by the City of Baltimore for a $5 million expenditure that would bolster its fleet with EVs.

However, earlier this year, Baltimore said it “decided to go in a different direction,” and although it was not directly confirmed, the move seemed to be political.

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Tesla threatened in France with claims of ‘deceptive’ practices

Tesla has been threatened by the Competition, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Control Office in France after the agency said it is participating in “deceptive business practices” related to its semi-autonomous driving capabilities.

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tesla side repeater camera
(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has been threatened by the Competition, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Control Office in France after the agency said it is participating in “deceptive business practices” related to its semi-autonomous driving capabilities.

Investigators in the government office said that Tesla has engaged in deceptive commercial practices over the capabilities of its cars. In the past, other agencies and even some skeptics have said that Tesla’s use of the phrases “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” is inaccurate in terms of its capabilities.

Tesla Autopilot gets stone cast in its direction by Pete Buttigieg

However, Tesla has been transparent with consumers and regulatory agencies that its cars are not yet fully autonomous, meaning drivers could sleep, play on their phones, or pay no attention to the road. The car would take care of steering and speed.

Tesla has never maintained that its cars are capable of this. On its website and in its Owner’s Manuals, it says that drivers are required to pay attention and be prepared to take over in case of an emergency.

The office began the investigation back in 2023 and, this week, ordered Tesla to comply with regulations within the next four months. If it does not, it will face fines of €50,000 per day.

This is not the first time Tesla has had some pushback from regulators regarding the naming of its semi-autonomous driving platforms. Back in 2023, then Secretary of Transportation in the United States, Pete Buttigieg, said the name “Autopilot” was not accurate because it is still a hands-on system:

“I don’t think that something should be called, for example, an Autopilot, when the fine print says you need to have your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times. We call balls and strikes. I view it as something where it’s very important to be very objective. But anytime a company does something wrong or a vehicle needs to be recalled or a design isn’t safe, we’re going to be there.”

He then said that Autopilot and its interaction with the person operating the car is a “real concern.”

 

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Tesla Robotaxi launch draws attention from regulators, mainstream media milks it

The Tesla Robotaxi launch has resulted in some questions from the NHTSA, a typical thing for early launches. Media is milking it as a huge thing.

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Credit: @AdanGuajardo/X

Tesla launched its Robotaxi platform in a limited capacity earlier this week in Austin, Texas, and after hundreds of rides have been taken, some instances have caught the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

However, the information the NHTSA is requesting is routine and totally normal for the early stages of a rollout of this magnitude. But that did not stop mainstream media from milking it into something controversial, when it really is not.

Tesla Robotaxi riders tout ‘smooth’ experience in first reviews of driverless service launch

Various outlets reported on the NHTSA’s request to Tesla for additional information regarding things seen in videos online.

The NHTSA said it is “aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information.” Bloomberg initially reported on the NHTSA’s request for information.

The thing is, the NHTSA has often reached out to companies right after it launches a driverless vehicle service. Both Waymo and GM’s Cruise, as well as Amazon’s Zoox, have had the NHTSA reach out to them regarding the launch of their driverless ride-hailing services.

The headlines for Tesla are significantly different:

Reviews from riders in Austin have stated the Robotaxi platform is “smooth” and “comfortable,” with many ranting and raving about the advantages the new ride-hailing service has over others. Not only is it being monitored by a safety monitor in the passenger seat, but there are also other things that make it unique.

One of the most notable is that your Robotaxi will automatically sync entertainment and streaming settings.

The sensationalism that the media tends to use with Tesla is a big reason the company did not invite mainstream outlets to the event. Instead, reporters were seen waiting for Early Access invitees to exit their cars to ask them questions.

Many denied the inquiries:

Elon Musk responded to that video by saying “Lmao,” an acronym for “laughing my ass off.”

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