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Electron
18m
Human (1.8m)
1.8m
Electron / Credits: Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons)
New Zealand / United StatesActive2017–2026
Electron
Rocket Lab
A small-lift carbon-composite rocket pioneering electric-pump-fed engines.
Electron is a small dedicated smallsat launcher built by Rocket Lab. It uses 9 Rutherford engines on its first stage, which are unique in being electric-pump-fed (battery-driven) rather than turbopump-fed. Rocket Lab has experimented with mid-air helicopter recovery of first stages and is the second-most-active U.S. orbital launch provider.
Fun facts
Electron's Rutherford engines are electrically-driven — battery-powered pumps instead of a turbopump, simplifying the design.
The rocket is made almost entirely of carbon composite, making it one of the lightest orbital launch vehicles ever built.
Rocket Lab has successfully recovered and reflown Electron boosters using helicopter mid-air capture.
Height
18 m
Diameter
1.2 m
Mass
13 t
Stages
3
Thrust
224 kN
Payload LEO
320 kg
Payload GTO
—
Total flights
98
Success rate95.9%
94 success4 failure
Launch pads
- LC-1A & 1B, Mahia Peninsula, NZ
- LC-2, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia
No upcoming launches scheduled.
