The faulty connector evaded Rocket Lab’s pre-flight testing procedures. “Basically, you could define it as really a thermal fault,” Beck said. “So while all of that testing showed no issues, after a period of time, one of the joints had a higher resistance, and that higher resistance led to heating. “That heating then led to thermal expansion of one of the components,” he said. “That thermal expansion and heating allowed some of the potting compounds around that joint — (intended) to keep it secure from vibration — to flow.”
Sabotage?
Only if Rocket Lab failed to pay tribute to the orbital gatekeepers who can cause 'failures' on demand. Just a little laser making it hot and then pop.