Electron
Active ElectronRocket Lab Ltd (RL)
May 25, 2017
Description
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.
Specifications
-
Minimum Stage
2 -
Max Stage
3 -
Length
18.0 m -
Diameter
1.2 m -
Fairing Diameter
1.2 m -
Launch Mass
13 T -
Thrust
162 kN
Family
-
Name
Electron -
Family
Electron -
Variant
― -
Alias
― -
Full Name
Electron
Payload Capacity
-
Launch Cost
$6000000 -
Low Earth Orbit
300 kg -
Geostationary Transfer
Orbit
― -
Direct Geostationary
― -
Sun-Synchronous Capacity
225 kg
Rocket Lab Ltd
Commercial
CEO: Peter Beck
RL 2006Rocket 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. Electron currently launches from only Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand however a second launch complex in the US is under development.
Upcoming Spaceflights
Electron | ACS3 & others
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD June, 2023
Electron | Telesat LEO 3
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD September, 2023
Electron | Capella Acadia 3
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD December, 2023
Electron | Capella Acadia 2
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD December, 2023
Electron | Capella Acadia 1
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD December, 2023
Electron | StriX
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD December, 2023
Electron | 6x HawkEye 360
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAWallops Island, Virginia, USA
TBD December, 2023
Electron | Capella Acadia 4
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD December, 2023
Electron | Kinéis 1-5
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD March, 2024
Electron | Kinéis 6-10
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD May, 2024
Electron | Kinéis 11-15
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD July, 2024
Electron | Kinéis 16-20
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD September, 2024
Electron | 6x HawkEye 360
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAWallops Island, Virginia, USA
TBD December, 2024
Electron | Kinéis 21-25
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
TBD November, 2025
Electron | Coming To A Storm Near You (TROPICS-3)
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
May 26, 2023, 3:46 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Last two operational (TROPICS-06 & TROPICS-07) satellites for NASA's Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation Structure and Storm Intensity with a Constellation of SmallSats (TROPICS) mission. The CubeSats are designed to provide rapid-refresh microwave measurements that can be used to determine temperature, pressure, and humidity inside hurricanes as they form and evolve.
Low Earth OrbitElectron | Rocket Like A Hurricane (TROPICS-2)
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
May 8, 2023, 1 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Third and fourth operational (TROPICS-04 & TROPICS-05) satellites for NASA's Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation Structure and Storm Intensity with a Constellation of SmallSats (TROPICS) mission. The CubeSats are designed to provide rapid-refresh microwave measurements that can be used to determine temperature, pressure, and humidity inside hurricanes as they form and evolve.
Low Earth OrbitElectron | The Beat Goes On
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
March 24, 2023, 9:14 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
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.
Low Earth Orbit 35 - Maiden Flight South PacificElectron | Stronger Together
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAWallops Island, Virginia, USA
March 16, 2023, 10:38 p.m.
Electron | Virginia is for Launch Lovers
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAWallops Island, Virginia, USA
Jan. 24, 2023, 11 p.m.
Electron | Catch Me If You Can
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Nov. 4, 2022, 5:27 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The payload is a science research satellite by space systems provider OHB Sweden for the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). The Mesospheric Airglow/Aerosol Tomography and Spectroscopy (MATS) satellite is the basis for the SNSA’s science mission to investigate atmospheric waves and better understand how the upper layer of Earth’s atmosphere interacts with wind and weather patterns closer to the ground. MATS was originally due to fly on a Russian launch service before the mission was manifested on Rocket Lab’s Electron.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit 32 - Maiden Flight South PacificElectron | It Argos Up From Here
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Oct. 7, 2022, 5:09 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The “It Argos Up From Here” mission will launch the General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems designed and manufactured satellite GAzelle, carrying Argos-4 Advanced Data Collection System (A-DCS) hosted payload, part of the international Argos program that collects data from thousands of sensors and transmitters located around the world.
Sun-Synchronous OrbitElectron | The Owl Spreads Its Wings
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Sept. 15, 2022, 8:38 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Second of three launches of a StriX satellite as part of Synspective’s SAR constellation. StriX-1 can gather high resolution Earth observation data regardless of conditions or daylight, offering a resilient and effective resource for the purposes of urban development, infrastructure monitoring, and disaster response.
Sun-Synchronous OrbitElectron | Antipodean Adventure (NROL-199)
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Aug. 4, 2022, 5 a.m.
Electron | Wise One Looks Ahead (NROL-162)
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
July 13, 2022, 6:30 a.m.
Electron | CAPSTONE
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
June 28, 2022, 9:55 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) is a 12-U cubesat mission to test operations in near rectiliniar halo orbit around the Moon, which is to be used for the Lunar Gateway space station. Mission will verify the near rectilinear halo orbit characteristics, spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation services in that orbit, and provide valuable experience of small sat launch to the Moon.
Lunar Orbit
Electron | There and Back Again
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
May 2, 2022, 10:49 p.m.
Electron | Without Mission A Beat
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
April 2, 2022, 12:41 p.m.
Electron | The Owl’s Night Continues
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Feb. 28, 2022, 8:37 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
StriX β is a Japanese synthetic aperture radar satellite built by Synspective as a demonstrator for their planned 25 satellite constellation. It will feature an X-band synthetic aperture radar. StriX β is an upgraded version of the StriX α prototype. The satellite features two deployable panes, one side carrying solar cells, the other carrying the X-band radar antenna. The StriX satellite constellation can target data with a ground resolution of 1-3 m, single polarized (VV), and a swath width of more than 10-30 km. The StriX observation modes are Stripmap and Sliding Spotlight mode and each satellite has an SAR antenna that is 5 meters in length and stowed during launch. The simple design of the satellites allows for affordable development of the constellation. StriX β was planned to be launched in 2021 on a Soyuz-2-1a Fregat or Soyuz-2-1b Fregat rideshare mission, but as this mission was delayed, it was re-booked on a dedicated Electron KS launch. Synspective is planning a constellation of 25 satellites called StriX, comprised of 100-kilogram satellites capable of imaging at a resolution of one to three meters. By 2022 the company plans to have six satellites in orbit. The company has not set a date by which it hopes to achieve 25 satellites.
Sun-Synchronous OrbitElectron | A Data With Destiny
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Dec. 9, 2021, 12:02 a.m.
Electron | Love At First Insight
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Nov. 18, 2021, 1:38 a.m.
Electron | STP-27RM (It’s a Little Chile Up Here)
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
July 29, 2021, 6 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
A U.S. Air Force experimental spacecraft. It will demonstrate the use of a deployable sensor, where the sensor’s mass is a substantial fraction of the total mass of the spacecraft and provide a platform to test future space protection capabilities.
Low Earth Orbit
Electron | Running Out Of Toes
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
May 15, 2021, 11:11 a.m.
Electron | They Go Up So Fast
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
March 22, 2021, 10:30 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The Electron rocket will carry seven satellites to low Earth orbit: one Earth-observation satellite for BlackSky, two Internet-Of-Things (IoT) nanosatellites for companies Fleet Space and Myriota, a technology demonstration satellite for the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra Space, a weather satellite pathfinder technology demonstration from Care Weather technologies, a technology demonstrator for the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command as well as Rocket Lab’s in-house designed and built Photon Pathstone spacecraft which will operate on orbit as a risk reduction demonstration to build spacecraft heritage ahead of Rocket Lab’s mission to the Moon for NASA later this year.
Sun-Synchronous OrbitElectron | Another One Leaves The Crust
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Jan. 20, 2021, 7:26 a.m.
Electron | StriX-α (The Owl's Night Begins)
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Dec. 15, 2020, 10:09 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
StriX-α is a demonstration mission for Japanese company Synspective which plans to deploy a constellation of synthetic aperture radar satellites. For this mission, Rocket Lab will utilize a custom expanded fairing to encompass Synspective’s wide-body satellite – the first use of the expanded fairing options that Rocket Lab recently introduced.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Electron | Return to Sender
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Nov. 20, 2020, 2:20 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
"Return to Sender" will loft 30 satellites to a sun-synchronous orbit at 500 km altitude for a range of customers, including TriSept, Unseenlabs, Swarm, Te Pūnaha Ātea - Auckland Space Institute, and global gaming software company Valve. The satellites span a range of operations, from TriSept’s tech demonstration of new tether systems designed to accelerate spacecraft reentry and reduce orbital debris, through to the next generation of maritime surveillance satellites for Unseenlabs, as well as communications satellites for Swarm. The mission will also deploy New Zealand’s first student-built satellite, the APSS-1 satellite for Te Pūnaha Ātea - Auckland Space Institute at The University of Auckland. The DRAGRACER mission will test the effectiveness of new tether technologies designed to accelerate spacecraft reentry and reduce orbital debris at the conclusion of space missions. TriSept has completed the integration of a pair of qualified Millennium Space Systems 6U small satellites, one featuring the tether drag device and one without. The controlled spacecraft should deorbit in approximately 45 days, while the second spacecraft is expected to remain in orbit for seven to nine years. BRO-2 and BRO-3 are the second and third satellites in French company Unseenlabs’ planned constellation of about 20 satellites dedicated to maritime surveillance. Swarm will launch the latest 24 1/4U SpaceBEE satellites to continue building out its planned constellation of 150 satellites to provide affordable satellite communications services to IoT devices in remote regions around the world. The student-built Waka Āmiorangi Aotearoa APSS-1 satellite is designed to monitor electrical activity in Earth’s upper atmosphere to test whether ionospheric disturbances can predict earthquakes. Extra payload on this flight is a 150 mm 3D printed Half-Life Gnome Chompski. Created for Valve Software's co-founder Gabe Newell by design studio Weta Workshop, it serves as an homage to the innovation and creativity of gamers worldwide, and also aims to test and qualify a novel 3D printing technique that could be employed for future spacecraft components. Gnome will remain attached to the Kick Stage and will burn up on reentry. Besides payloads, this flight will also serve as a test of Electron's reusability. Rocket Lab will attempt to bring Electron’s first stage back to Earth under a parachute system for a controlled water landing before collection by a recovery vessel.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit #ReturnToSender 16 - Maiden Flight South PacificElectron | In Focus
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Oct. 28, 2020, 9:21 p.m.
Electron | I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Aug. 31, 2020, 3:05 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
This return to flight mission is dedicated for Capella Space, an information services company providing Earth observation data on demand. Capella’s payload, ‘Sequoia’, is a single 100 kg class microsatellite which will be the first publicly available satellite in the company’s commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) constellation. By positioning the satellite to a 45-degree inclination, Capella Space will maximize coverage over important areas such as the Middle East, Korea, Japan, Europe, South East Asia, Africa, and the U.S. The mission name is a nod to Capella’s SAR technology that provides high quality images of the Earth day or night, and in any weather conditions, as well as a nod to the infamous advertisement campaign for “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”. Capella’s space-based radar can detect sub-0.5 meter changes on the surface of the Earth, providing insights and data that can be used for security, agricultural and infrastructure monitoring, as well as disaster response and recovery.
Low Earth OrbitElectron | Pics Or It Didn’t Happen
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
July 4, 2020, 9:19 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:
‘Pics Or It Didn’t Happen’ is the 13th mission for Rocket Lab. It was planned to deploy seven imaging small satellites to a 500km circular low Earth orbit for a range of customers including Spaceflight Inc.’s customer Canon Electronics, as well as Planet and In-Space Missions.
Sun-Synchronous OrbitElectron | Don't Stop Me Now
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
June 13, 2020, 5:12 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
This rideshare mission carries small satellites for NASA, University of New South Wales and for NRO. The mission has been named "Don't Stop Me Now" in recognition of Rocket Lab board member and avid Queen fan Scott Smith, who recently passed away.
Sun-Synchronous OrbitElectron | NROL-151 (Birds of a Feather)
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Jan. 31, 2020, 2:56 a.m.
Electron | Running Out Of Fingers
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Dec. 6, 2019, 8:18 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
This is the Rocket Lab's 10th flight. It carries several small satellites for international commercial customers. This is also the first flight to feature an upgraded first stage of the Electron rocket, which is now equipped with new hardware and sensors. After completing its mission, Electron's first stage will perform a guided atmospheric re-entry, gathering data necessary for the development of Rocket Lab's reusability program.
Low Earth OrbitElectron | As The Crow Flies
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Oct. 17, 2019, 1:22 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Encapsulated in Electron's fairing will be a single spacecraft for Astro Digital, a California-based satellite manufacturer and operator. The Landmapper-BC remote sensing satellite features a broad coverage multispectral imaging system with a resolution of 22 meters per pixel. Eventually, Astro Digital plans to extend the Landmapper-BC constellation to capture daily, multispectral imagery of the world’s arable land. The mission is named 'As The Crow Flies' in a nod to Astro Digital's Corvus Platform, which provides flexible and cost-effective solutions across a wide range of applications and mission profiles on bus variants ranging from 6U and 16U CubeSats to ESPA Class. Corvus is also a widely-distributed genus of birds which includes crows.
Low Earth OrbitElectron | Look Ma, No Hands
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Aug. 19, 2019, 12:12 p.m.
Electron | Make It Rain
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
June 29, 2019, 4:30 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Rideshare mission for Spaceflight. Electron will launch seven spacecraft, including a commercial Earth-observing microsatellite for BlackSky, two CubeSats for U.S. Special Operations Command, a pair of tiny prototype data relay nodes for Swarm Technologies, a student-built payload from Australia called ACRUX-1, and a satellite whose identity and owner remain a secret. The mission is named "Make it Rain" in a nod to the high volume of rainfall in Seattle, where Spaceflight is headquartered, as well in New Zealand where Launch Complex 1 is located.
Low Earth OrbitElectron | STP-27RD (That's a Funny Looking Cactus)
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
May 5, 2019, 6 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The mission has been procured by the DoD Space Test Program in partnership with Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) as part of its Rapid Agile Launch Initiative .The payload consists of three satellites, SPARC-1, Falcon ODE and Harbinger, that will deployed in a precise sequence. The Space Plug and Play Architecture Research CubeSat-1 (SPARC-1) mission, sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/RV), is a joint Swedish-United States experiment to explore technology developments in avionics miniaturization, software defined radio systems, and space situational awareness (SSA). The Falcon Orbital Debris Experiment (Falcon ODE), sponsored by the United States Air Force Academy, will evaluate ground-based tracking of space objects. Harbinger, a commercial small satellite built by York Space Systems and sponsored by the U.S Army, will demonstrate the ability of an experimental commercial system to meet DoD space capability requirements.
Low Earth OrbitElectron | DARPA R3D2 (Two Thumbs Up)
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
March 28, 2019, 11:27 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Radio Frequency Risk Reduction Deployment Demonstration (R3D2) is a mission for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). It will test a prototype reflect array antenna which is intended to improve radio communications in small spacecraft.
Low Earth Orbit #R3D2Electron | VCLS ELaNa XIX (This One's For Pickering)
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Dec. 16, 2018, 6:33 a.m.
Electron | It's Business Time
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Nov. 11, 2018, 3:50 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Electron's first commercial launch will feature two Lemur-2 cubesats for Spire Global, a single cubesat for GeoOptics, a NABEO drag sail demonstrator for High Performance Space Structure Systems, an IRVINE01 cubesat from the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program, and two Proxima cubesats from Fleet Space Technologies.
Low Earth Orbit #ItsBusinessTimeElectron | Still Testing
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Jan. 21, 2018, 1:43 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The second test flight of the Electron small satellite launch vehicle. It is also the first Electron flight to carry commercial payload. It includes a Dove cubesat for company Planet intended for Earth observation. And also two Lemur-2 cubesats for company Spire which carry payloads for meteorology and ship traffic tracking.
Low Earth Orbit #StillTestingElectron | It's a Test
Rocket Lab Ltd | USAOnenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
May 25, 2017, 4:20 a.m.
Falcon 9
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Starlink Group 6-4
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USAA batch of 22 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 2-10
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Chollima 1
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Long March 2
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