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Electron's 13th flight fails after an electrical fault in the second stage, losing seven satellites
Rocket Lab's 13th Electron launch, 'Pics Or It Didn't Happen', failed to reach orbit on July 4, 2020, destroying seven small satellites for customers including Canon Electronics, Planet, and In-Space Missions. An electrical anomaly in the upper stage caused the failure; Rocket Lab returned to flight within weeks.
- Mission 'Pics Or It Didn't Happen', 13th Electron flight, 4 July 2020; electrical fault in upper stage ~4 minutes into flight; loss of payload.
- Satellite customers: Canon Electronics, Planet, In-Space Missions; represented cumulative loss after 11 consecutive successful flights.
- Rocket Lab worked with FAA; identified root cause (electrical anomaly); implemented fix and returned to flight within weeks, resuming success streak.