Electron / launch vehicle
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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.
key specs
faq
Who builds Electron?
Electron is built by Rocket Lab. (source, as of 2026-07-05)
How many times has Electron flown?
Electron has flown 91 times. (source, as of 2026-07-05)
When did Electron first fly?
Electron first flew on 2017-05-25. (source, as of 2026-07-05)
Is Electron reusable?
Electron is not reusable. (source, as of 2026-07-05)
facts
providerRocket Lab
countryUSA
classsmall
payload to LEO (kg)300
reusableno
first flight2017-05-25
flights total91
flights successful87
last flight2026-06-26
next flight2026-07-17
statusactive
price per launch (USD)6000000
height (m)18
diameter (m)1.2
mass (kg)13000
events
- notable2026-07-07Rocket Lab CFO says 'panic' setting in over Falcon 9 rideshare access
- major2026-07-07Rocket Lab completes VICTUS HAZE mission for Space Force in record time
- notable2026-07-02True Anomaly images Rocket Lab's satellite in VICTUS HAZE drill
- seismic2026-06-29Rocket Lab agrees to acquire Iridium in $8 billion cash-and-stock deal
- noise2026-06-26Synspective's 10th StriX SAR satellite reaches orbit on Rocket Lab Electron
- notable2026-06-19Rocket Lab launches VICTUS HAZE Puma spacecraft for Space Force
timeline
- 20232023-09-19incidentWe Will Never Desert You (Capella Acadia 2) launch failureoutcome: Launch Failurecause: Ignition failure of the 2nd stage after separation. (source, as of 2026-07-08)
- 20212021-05-15incidentRunning Out of Toes (BlackSky 8-9) launch failureoutcome: Launch Failurecause: Unspecified issue shortly after stage two ignition (source, as of 2026-07-08)
- 20202020-07-04incidentPics Or It Didn’t Happen (Rideshare) launch failureoutcome: Launch Failurecause: Launch vehicle suffered an anomaly during the second stage that resulted in the loss of the mission and all satellite payloads. (source, as of 2026-07-08)
- 20172017-05-25incidentIt's a Test launch failureoutcome: Launch Failurecause: Third-party contractor supporting the launch misconfigured ground equipment that translated radio signals from the rocket into data used by range safety officials. That caused “extensive corruption of received position data,†resulting in the data loss that led safety officials to trigger the rocket’s flight termination system. (source, as of 2026-07-08)
sources
[1] ll.thespacedevs.com ↗
provider2026-07-05country2026-07-05class2026-07-05payload to LEO (kg)2026-07-05reusable2026-07-05first flight2026-07-05flights total2026-07-05flights successful2026-07-05last flight2026-07-05next flight2026-07-05status2026-07-05price per launch (USD)2026-07-05height (m)2026-07-08diameter (m)2026-07-08mass (kg)2026-07-08