Small-sat flinger Rocket Lab beat the winds to get the mysterious National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) payload off the New Zealand launchpad this morning. After multiple holds due to ground winds, the Electron lifted off at 02:56 UTC on 31 January from the company’s Launch Complex 1 on the New Zealand Mahia Peninsula. Dubbed “Birds of Read more about US’s secret spy payload offloaded: Rocket Lab demos missile muscle with second Electron guided home[…]