The aerospace start-up Rocket Lab says that it will build a second launch site in the United States

Rocket Lab, a small satellite launch company, says it's looking to expand its spaceflight operations by creating a new launch platform in the United States. This new site will be the second site of the American start-up, which is already launching its rockets from a private pad in New Zealand.

Rocket Lab has not yet chosen a site for the second launch site, but has narrowed it down to four locations, all in government-run launch facilities. These include the two most prolific spaceports of the United States, Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The other two sites include Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, as well as the Pacific Spaceport Complex in southern Alaska. Rocket Lab says that a final decision will be made in 2018. First, the company must overcome all regulatory hurdles and all necessary costs, as well as determine the duration of construction. A new pad will be built specifically for Rocket Lab's main vehicle, the Electron.

The new site will be named Launch Complex 2 – a fitting title as the New Zealand platform calls Launch Complex 1. The first launch of the facility is planned for the first half of 2019, and Rocket Lab indicates that the site will be able to support launches at least once a month. The company was very clear about the fact that it wants to launch its rockets as often as possible, to finally send a vehicle every three days. This second site could help Rocket Lab better achieve this goal by allowing more frequent flights to space. "The US-based launch adds an extra layer of flexibility to our government and commercial customers, providing unparalleled ability to quickly deploy space assets with confidence and accuracy," said Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab. Electron is a relatively small rocket that sits just 55 feet tall, about the size of a five-story building. Its only purpose is to be an attraction dedicated to small satellites, because the rocket can only carry payloads between 330 and 500 pounds in low Earth orbit. This is a light load compared to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, for example, which can carry about 50,000 pounds of cargo in the same orbit.

Up to now, the company has conducted two test launches of the Electron. Both times, the rocket did it in space, although the second flight was the only one to reach the orbit. Now, Rocket Lab is in the midst of transitioning into complete business operations, which turns out to be a little tricky. The company has twice attempted to launch its first commercial flight, which will carry five small satellites into orbit for four different customers. However, these two attempts had to be postponed because Rocket Lab has identified a strange behavior with one of the engines of the Electron. The company is working to solve the problem but has not announced a new date for the mission.