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A giant rocket nose cone that took years to build left Warkworth’s Rocket Lab for the US last week.
Hauling the huge structure proceeded at snail’s pace, taking more than three hours to get from the top of Morrison Drive to Robertson’s Boatyard in the early hours of Wednesday, December 3.
The shrink-wrapped cone was so big it required trees en route to be cut back, and Vector switched off power to a number of homes so lines staff could lift overhead power cables out of its way. A large crane lifted the cone from a truck onto a barge towed by the tug Kaitoa, where it was expected to depart for Northport or Auckland in the following days.
Rocket Lab remained tight-lipped on the cone and its final destination, though it is thought to be the top section of Rocket Lab’s 43-metre partially reusable Neutron rocket, which is due to launch from Virginia next year after testing.
