OperationalRocket LabUnited States / New ZealandFirst Launch: 2017-05-25
Electron
Dedicated small-satellite orbital launch vehicle powered by 3D-printed Rutherford electric turbopump engines.
Electron is a two-stage small-lift launch vehicle designed and built by Rocket Lab. Engineered specifically for the dedicated deployment of small satellites and CubeSats to customized orbital inclinations, Electron features an advanced carbon-composite fuselage and 3D-printed Rutherford engines powered by high-discharge lithium-polymer battery electric turbopumps.
SpaceStats Reliability & Flight Record
TOTAL LAUNCHES
54
Orbital missions
SUCCESSFUL
50
4 failures
SUCCESS RATE
92.6%
LANDINGS
9
Reusable First Stage
Rocket LabFeatured Photography
Electron CAPSTONE Lunar Mission Liftoff
Rocket Lab / Yourong F. Wang
Architecture Analysis & Development Story
Engineering DossierHistory & Development
Developed to solve the rideshare bottleneck where small satellites were forced to wait months for secondary piggyback opportunities on large rockets, Electron first launched in May 2017 ('It's a Test') and achieved orbit on its second flight ('Still Testing') in January 2018. Rocket Lab has since established dedicated orbital launch pads in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres.
Operational Record & Mission Impact
Electron is the second most frequently launched US orbital rocket, conducting missions for NASA, the US Space Force, DARPA, Capella Space, BlackSky, and planetary exploration missions including the NASA CAPSTONE lunar pathfinder probe.
Key Engineering Innovations & Design Highlights
Nine 3D-printed Rutherford engines on the first stage powered by electric motor driven turbopumps.
All-carbon-composite tanks and primary structural skin minimizing dry mass.
Optional Curie / HyperCurie bi-propellant Kick Stage for multi-satellite orbital plane phasing and deep-space trajectory injection.
Parachute recovery system and oceanic splashdown recovery operations for first-stage reuse.
Technical & Propulsion Specifications
Operator: Rocket LabVehicle Dimensions & Mass
- Overall Height
- 18 m
- Body Diameter
- 1.2 m
- Gross Lift-off Mass
- 13 t
- Stages Count
- 2
- Fairing Diameter
- 1.2 m
First Stage Booster
- Main Engines
- 9x Rutherford
- Propellant
- LOX / RP-1
- SL Thrust
- 224 kN
- Vacuum Isp
- 343s
- Dry Mass
- 950 kg
- Recovery Mode
- ParachuteRecovery
Second Stage
- Upper Engine
- 1x Rutherford Vacuum
- LEO Capacity
- 320 kg
- TLI (Lunar)
- 35 kg
- Cost per Launch
- $7,500,000
- LEO Price / kg
- ~$23,438 / kg
Fleet Deployment & Economics Suite
Model Satellite Constellations or Payload Charters with Electron
Calculate multi-plane Walker Delta fleet costs, fairing dispenser limits, launch cadence timelines, and single-mission rideshare economics.
Launch Complexes & Spaceports Network
2 Active Launch PadsPad A / Pad B
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1
Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand
-39.261°N, 177.865°E
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2)
Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport
Wallops Island, Virginia, USA
37.834°N, -75.488°E
Milestone & Historic Missions
Key Flight Achievements2022-06-28Success
CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System)
Customer: NASA
Lunar pathfinder cubesat injected into a Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) for the Artemis program using Lunar Photon.
High-Resolution Photo Gallery & Media
5 photos & renders of Electron
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Liftoff2022-06-28Electron CAPSTONE Lunar Mission Liftoff
Rocket Lab Electron vehicle launching the NASA CAPSTONE lunar pathfinder from Launch Complex 1.
Rocket Lab / Yourong F. Wang
Source 
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Pad2016-09-26Electron Launch Complex 1 Mahia
Rocket Lab's private orbital launch pad perched on the scenic cliffs of the Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand.
Rocket Lab / Rodney Allen
Source 
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Pad2021-03-10Rocket Lab Mahia Range & Pad
Launch Complex 1 range tracking and vehicle integration facilities overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Rocket Lab / Grumpy Eye
Source 
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Landing2022-05-03Electron Mid-Air Booster Recovery Attempt
Sikorsky S-92 helicopter capturing Electron's parachuting first stage booster during the 'There And Back Again' mission.
Rocket Lab
Source 
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Engine2019-08-153D-Printed Electric-Pump Rutherford Engine
Rocket Lab Rutherford engine utilizing brushless DC motors and lithium-polymer batteries to drive turbopumps.
Rocket Lab
Source SpaceStats Launch Manifest & Database
11 mission records cataloged in database
| Flight / Mission | Orbit | Launch Date | Pad / Location | Booster / Landing | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Electron | The Mountain God Rises (iQPS Launch 10) The Mountain God Rises (iQPS Launch 10) | LEO | Nov 14, 2026 | Unknown Pad Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | B1080 ASDS | GO | Details → |
Electron | The Sea God Surveys (iQPS Launch 9) The Sea God Surveys (iQPS Launch 9) | LEO | Nov 2, 2026 | Unknown Pad Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | B1080 ASDS | GO | Details → |
Electron | StriX Launch 12 StriX Launch 12 | SSO | Oct 31, 2026 | Unknown Pad Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | B1080 ASDS | TBD | Details → |
Electron | We're Not Hawking Around (3x HawkEye 360) We're Not Hawking Around (3x HawkEye 360) | SSO | Oct 21, 2026 | Unknown Pad Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | B1080 ASDS | TBD | Details → |
Electron | LOXSAT 1 LOXSAT 1 | LEO | Sep 30, 2026 | Unknown Pad Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | B1080 ASDS | TBD | Details → |
Electron | BlackSky Gen-3 5 BlackSky Gen-3 5 | LEO | Sep 30, 2026 | Unknown Pad Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | B1080 ASDS | TBD | Details → |
Electron | BlackSky Gen-3 6 BlackSky Gen-3 6 | LEO | Sep 30, 2026 | Unknown Pad Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | B1080 ASDS | TBD | Details → |
Electron | Owlright, Owlright, Owlright (StriX Launch 13) Owlright, Owlright, Owlright (StriX Launch 13) | LEO | Sep 26, 2026 | Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | B1080 ASDS | GO | Details → |
Electron | Owl Around The World (StriX Launch 11) Owl Around The World (StriX Launch 11) | LEO | Sep 1, 2026 | Unknown Pad Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | B1080 ASDS | GO | Details → |
Electron | The Lightning God Defends (iQPS Launch 8) The Lightning God Defends (iQPS Launch 8) | LEO | Aug 31, 2026 | Unknown Pad Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | B1080 ASDS | TBD | Details → |
Electron | The Grain Goddess Provides (iQPS Launch 7) The Grain Goddess Provides (iQPS Launch 7) | LEO | Aug 31, 2026 | Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | B1080 ASDS | TBD | Details → |