Rocket Lab has launched to the rescue of families left out-of-pocket by the collapse of the space camp company, Actura.
The Australia-based company went into liquidation on Friday, leaving behind a trail of angry parents on both sides of the Tasman.
Dinner with an astronaut was just one of the once-in-a-lifetime promises made to high school students both here and in Australia for a two-week trip to a space school that's not cleared for lift-off. All that parents are now left with are empty wallets and devastated children.
Now, New Zealand-American company Rocket Lab is trying to mend broken hearts, offering a tour of their rocket factory in Auckland.
"We heard about the kids missing out on the trip of a lifetime and felt awful for them," a company spokesperson said.
"[We] reached out and offered a tour of our Auckland rocket and mission control. We hope it goes a small way toward helping them still experience a bit of space magic."
Exact times and dates are still to be confirmed.
Several parents have been "overwhelmed" by the generous offer, according to the NZ Herald.
A Wellington family has paid four instalments of $3000, which started in April last year. Yesterday they received confirmation from Air New Zealand that the domestic flights booked for their 12-year-old child don't exist.
They've gone back to their daughter's school which they say endorsed the Actura trip, and received an email from Chilton Saint James principal Caroline Robertson apologising for the disappointment.
Operating since 2014, Actura boasted a 90 percent approval rating from students attending the company's programmes.
