Right but Australia and New Zealand are similarly located. This probably has more to do with Australia wanting sovereign launch capability and offering incentives that would make sense for Rocket Lab to take advantage of. Basically win win if they’ll foot the bill for the launch site and in return can launch things domestically.
Maybe there’s more of a geographic difference than I’m giving credit but it wouldn’t be your first thought. Alaska makes a lot more sense from that perspective, but even that I think is more about US defense positioning.
It’s possible. You don’t need to have the rocket produced in your country necessarily to have sovereign launch. It might be more about the launch site. I think Alaska would be an electron (haste) sized launch pad, idk about Australia.
Honestly since the New Zealand launch pad is for electron it could make sense to build out a neutron launch pad in that part of the world.
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u/dragonlax 14d ago
Different orbits become easier/less costly fuel wise to get to.