A giant leap forward for New Zealand's space industry.

Rocket Lab's performing a final engine burn of its Lunar Photon spacecraft tonight, to set the Capstone satellite on course to the moon for NASA.

It follows the successful launch of the spacecraft from Hawke's Bay's Mahia Peninsula last Tuesday.

Rocket Lab Founder Peter Beck told Mike Hosking the logistics of this evening's part of the mission make it high risk.

He says it's like shooting a bullet many hundreds of thousands of kilometres to hit a moving target.

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