Watch the Launch

Additional Media

We Love the Nightlife (Capella Acadia 1)

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
40 - Pacific Ocean

Payload consists of a single SAR Earth-imaging Acadia satellite, a new generation satellite designed, manufactured, and operated by Capella Space. First mission to fly with a reused engine.

Updates

SwGustav • Aug. 24, 2023, 1:03 a.m.

Launch success


SwGustav • Aug. 23, 2023, 11:45 p.m.

Liftoff


LL2 • Aug. 23, 2023, 11:27 p.m.

Livestream has started


Cosmic_Penguin • Aug. 23, 2023, 8:19 a.m.

New NET T-0, 23:45 UTC.


Cosmic_Penguin • Aug. 14, 2023, 11:13 p.m.

New launch date and time.


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


40

Status: Retired


Type: Core
Flight Proven: No
First Flight: August 23, 2023
Last Flight: August 23, 2023
Flights: 1
Landings Attempted: 1
Landings Successful: 1

Landing Information

The Electron booster was successfully recovered after a soft parachute splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Result: Successful Parachute Landing landing at Pacific Ocean.

Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab

(RL)

CEO: Peter Beck Founded: 2006 Successes: 72 Failures: 4 Pending: 44

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

The Launch Pad

RocketLab Flys Recovered Electron Engine For First Time

Rocket Lab has achieved a significant milestone in the effort to make Electron reusable, for the first time the company has flown an engine that had previously flown before and was recovered from the ocean.

Arstechnica

The re-flight of a Rutherford engine demonstrates rocket reuse is here to stay

"The data is in, perfect performance from the reused engine."

Teslarati

Rocket Lab launches 40th mission, first re-flown Rutherford engine

Rocket Lab’s ‘We Love the Nightlife’ mission lifted off at 11:45 a.m. NZST (23:45 UTC), bringing the Acadia satellite to orbit and...

SpaceNews

Rocket Lab reuses engine on Electron launch

Rocket Lab successfully reflew an engine on an Electron launch Aug. 23 as the company moves a step closer to reusing the entire rocket booster.

Teslarati

Rocket Lab’s Electron faces rare last second abort

Rocket Lab’s 40th mission will have to wait a bit longer, as the Electron rocket ignited its 9 Rutherford engines and immediately...

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B


Angara 1.2
Success
3 hours, 53 minutes ago
Kosmos (Unknown Payload)
35/1 - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Note: Payload identity and Cosmos series numbering not confirmed. Unknown Payload(s) for the Russian military.


Long March 2
Success
13 hours, 23 minutes ago
Shenzhou 22
Launch Area 4 (SLS-1 / 921) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Shenzhou 22 (Chinese: 神舟二十二号) will be the 22nd flight of the Shenzhou program. The spacecraft will be launched without crew to replace Shenzhou 20 th…


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 8 hours ago
Starlink Group 11-30
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 9 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-79
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 3
Success
4 days, 6 hours ago
TJSW-21
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 13 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-78
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
5 days, 4 hours ago
Follow My Speed (BlackSky Gen-3 3)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Note: Payload and customer identities were not publicly announced. 3rd of the BlackSky Gen-3 high resolution Earth-imaging satellites.


Long March 2
Success
6 days, 13 hours ago
Shijian 30 A-C
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

3 Chinese satellites described as for “Space Environment Measurements” purposes. Actual usage not known.


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 17 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-94
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
1 week ago
Prometheus Run (VAN)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C) - Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Sub-orbital launch under Rocket Lab’s Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) program. This mission was lead by MDA and deployed a…