Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1

Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 (LC-1), located on the Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand's North Island at approximately 39°S latitude on a remote coastal clifftop overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is the world's first private orbital launch site — the first launch facility purpose-built and operated entirely by a private commercial company for commercial orbital launch services, licensed by the New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA) under the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act 2017.

The Mahia Peninsula site was selected by Rocket Lab for multiple strategic advantages: the remote, low-population area minimizes range safety constraints; launches southward over the Pacific Ocean enable highly valuable sun-synchronous and polar orbital inclinations (around 97-98°) that serve the majority of Earth observation, remote sensing, and climate monitoring satellite customers; New Zealand's position south of most of the world's landmasses means the launch corridor extends across open ocean without overflying other countries; and the site is south of most major air traffic routes. The existing New Zealand government's airspace management infrastructure and Rocket Lab's relationship with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and NZSA facilitated the licensing process.

LC-1 consists of two launch pads — Launch Complex 1A (the original pad, operational since 2017) and Launch Complex 1B (added in 2020) — enabling simultaneous processing of two Electron vehicles and increasing launch cadence capacity. The facility includes a launch control room, vehicle integration facilities, pad fueling systems, and range safety tracking cameras. Electron integration and launch preparation typically takes 7-10 days on pad.

LC-1 has supported over 50 Electron launches — deploying commercial Earth observation satellites for Planet Labs and BlackSky, government payloads for NRO and DARPA, cubesat constellations for Spire and HawkEye 360, and technology demonstration missions — making Mahia Peninsula one of the most frequently used orbital launch sites in the world during peak years. LC-1 remains Rocket Lab's primary site for non-U.S.-government commercial missions.