Running Out of Toes
Running Out of Toes was a Rocket Lab Electron mission for BlackSky that ended in a launch failure after lifting off at 11:11 UTC on 15 May 2021 (11:11 p.m. NZST on 15 May; 7:11 a.m. EDT on 15 May) from Launch Complex 1A on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.
11:11 UTC on 15 May 2021 · 11:11 p.m. NZST on 15 May · 7:11 a.m. EDT on 15 May
Disclaimer: This livestream is from a third-party channel and is not an official Rocket Lab broadcast.
Mission Failure
Mission did not achieve its intended objectives
Unspecified issue shortly after stage two ignition
Mission State
This mission currently has a dated launch window in the tracker.
The current watch link is from a third-party source rather than Rocket Lab directly.
Launch Updates
-
Launch failure confirmed
by SwGustav Source: twitter.com -
New launch time.
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: twitter.com -
Added launch time and setting GO.
by Nosu Source: rocketlabusa.com
Updates via Launch Library 2 (The Space Devs).
Name Origin
Counting milestone sequel to "Running Out of Fingers" (flight 10): fingers = 10, toes = 20. Rocket Lab's 20th launch marks the numerical milestone, not launch cadence generally.
Mission Overview
This was the 20th launch of Electron rocket. It carried two Earth imaging microsatellites for BlackSky's constellation which were lost due to a launcher failure after second stage ignition.
Technical Details
48
kiwis- https://www.rocketlabusa.com/assets/Uploads/Flight-20-Running-Out-Of-Toes-press-kit-web.pdf rocketlabusa.com
- Running Out Of Toes rocketlabusa.com
Launch data cross-checked against Wikipedia.
Was this a jellyfish launch?
UnlikelySun 66° below the horizon at liftoff — full night, the plume stays in Earth's shadow.
Details
- Unlikely
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Liftoff
- 11:11 p.m. NZST · 11:11 UTC
- Sunset
- 5:04 p.m. NZST · 05:04 UTC
- Civil dusk (−6°)
- 5:33 p.m. NZST · 05:33 UTC
- Nautical dusk (−12°)
- 6:05 p.m. NZST · 06:05 UTC
- Astronomical dusk (−18°)
- 6:37 p.m. NZST · 06:37 UTC
Twilight times at the pad (Mahia, NZ) for the evening of the launch.
What's a rocket jellyfish? When a rocket launches in twilight, the ground is dark but its exhaust plume climbs into sunlight high above. The expanding plume glows against the dark sky in a jellyfish-like shape.
