The Defence Force says it "is not a provider of orbital launch services". Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Defence Force (NZDF) says it is aware the United States wants to expand options for rocket launches, but that it has nothing to do with it.
The Pentagon's Space Force says it has begun talks with several countries that already launch rockets, including New Zealand, and several others that want to, about doing launches for the US.
The NZDF said it did not do launches.
"While the New Zealand Defence Force is aware of the desire of the US military to expand options for launches, including New Zealand, the NZDF is not a provider of orbital launch services.
"Your questions are best directed to the US military and Rocket Lab. This is because contracting such launch services are matters between the US armed forces and the company and have nothing to do with the New Zealand Defence Force."
The US Embassy declined to comment.
Rocket Lab, founded in New Zealand and listed in New York, has previously launched from Mahia for America's spy satellite agency, the National Reconnaissance Office. It has many contracts in the US for launches for the Pentagon.
The company earlier in the week referred RNZ's questions about more US launches to the New Zealand Space Agency, which is part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE).
MBIE referred RNZ's questions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which said the space minister would comment.
Judith Collins said: "I have not engaged directly with the Space Force on launching from New Zealand."
Collins has the authority to turn down launches, after a check on payloads that involves consulting with the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) and Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) spy agencies. No launch has been turned down.
Activist group Peace Action said this amounted to "very little oversight".
"Without the actual access to classified information from the US we have incomplete information about what these satellites do," it said in a statement this week.
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