Watch the Launch

Additional Media

The Beat Goes On (BlackSky 18-19)

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Earth Science

Low Earth Orbit Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
35 - South Pacific

Payload consists of 2 second generation Earth-imaging satellites for BlackSky. They are part of a constellation of 60 Low Earth Orbit Earth imaging satellites adding capacity to the company’s real-time geospatial intelligence and monitoring capabilities.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • March 24, 2023, 11 a.m.

Launch success.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 24, 2023, 9:15 a.m.

Liftoff


Cosmic_Penguin • March 24, 2023, 8:06 a.m.

Resume count.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 24, 2023, 7:39 a.m.

Holding for space weather review.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 24, 2023, 4:33 a.m.

T-0 adjustment.


Electron

Family:
Configuration:

Electron is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle (with an optional third stage) developed by the American aerospace company Rocket Lab. Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle designed to launch small satellites and cubesats to sun-synchronous orbit and low earth orbit. The Electron is the first orbital class rocket to use electric-pump-fed engines, powered by the 9 Rutherford engines on the first stage. It is also used as a suborbital testbed (called HASTE) for hypersonics research.

See Details
Specifications
  • Minimum Stage
    2
  • Max Stage
    3
  • Length
    18.0 m
  • Diameter
    1.2 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    1.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    13.0 T
  • Thrust
    162.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Electron
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Electron
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $6000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    300.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    225.0 kg

Booster Info


35

Status: Retired


Type: Core
Flight Proven: No
First Flight: March 24, 2023
Last Flight: March 24, 2023
Flights: 1
Landings Attempted: 1
Landings Successful: 1

Landing Information

Rocket Lab has successfully recovered the Electron booster after a soft parachute splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Result: Successful Parachute Landing landing at South Pacific.

Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab

(RL)

CEO: Peter Beck Founded: 2006 Successes: 55 Failures: 4 Pending: 33

Agency Type:

Rocket Lab is an American aerospace manufacturer with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. The company develops lightweight, cost-effective commercial rocket launch services. The Electron Program was founded on the premise that small payloads such as CubeSats require dedicated small launch vehicles and flexibility not currently offered by traditional rocket systems. Its rocket, the Electron, is a light-weight rocket and is now operating commercially. The company is also producing a variety of spacecrafts and spacecrafts components.

INFO WIKI

Related News

NASASpaceflight

Rocket Lab launches BlackSky sats, tests Electron ocean recovery

After successfully conducting back-to-back flights from their recently-inaugurated US launch site, Rocket Lab returned to New Zealand for its second mission in March. Liftoff of “The Beat Goes On” mission took place on Friday, March 24 at …

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 21 hours ago
Starlink Group 12-8
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 8 hours ago
Starlink Group 12-18
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 8A
Success
5 days, 17 hours ago
SatNet LEO Group 02 (Demo Flight)
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Demonstration flight of the Long March 8A rocket with upgraded first stage and boosters engines, and a new larger liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen secon…


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 1 hour ago
Starlink Group 11-10
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
IoT 4 You and Me (Kinéis 16-20)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Fourth batch of five satellites for the French Kinéis IoT constellation designed to operate with 25 nanosatellites of 30 kg each.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 12-9
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Soyuz 2.1v
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Kosmos 2581/2582/2583
43/4 (43R) - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Unidentified classified satellites for the Russian military.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
WorldView Legion 5 & 6
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

WorldView Legion is a constellation of Earth observation satellites built and operated by Maxar. Constellation is planned to consist of 6 satellites …


New Shepard
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
NS-29
West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch - Corn Ranch, Van Horn, TX, USA

NS-29 will simulate the Moon’s gravity and fly 30 payloads, all but one of which is focused on testing lunar-related technologies. The payloads wi…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
Starlink Group 12-3
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.