Electron, two-stage orbital launch vehicle, Rocket Lab, New Zealand, Huntington Beach, California, USA

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket was launched in its maiden flight from the Launch Complex 1, on the Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 25 May 2017, at 16:20 local time. The Electron is a two-stage orbital launch vehicle capable of launching a maximum payload of 225 kg. According to Peter Beck (CEO and founder of Rocket Lab), “We had a great first stage burn, stage separation, second stage ignition and fairing separation. We didn’t quite reach orbit and we’ll be investigating why”.

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It's a Test - Rocket Lab's Electron
16:20pm Thursday 25 May (NZST)

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Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket first commercial launch, nicknamed “It’s Business Time”, was launched from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 11 November 2018, at 03:00 UTC (16:00 NZDT). It’s Business Time launched two Lemur-2 satellites from Spire Global; a GeoOptics Inc. satellite, built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems; IRVINE01, an educational payload from the Irvine CubeSat STEM Program (ICSP); NABEO, a drag sail technology demonstrator designed and built by High Performance Space Structure Systems GmBH; two Proxima satellites from Fleet Space Technologies.

Credit:
Photos and video courtesy of Rocket Lab

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Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket launched NASA’s ELaNa XIX mission from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 16 December 2018, at 06:33 UTC (19:33 NZDT). NASA Venture Class Launch Service flight of the CubeSat Launch Initiative Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) XIX mission launched the following cubesats: Ceres and STF-1 (NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center), CubeSail (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), CHOMPTT (University of Florida), NMTSat (New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology), DaVinci (North Idaho STEM Charter Academy), Rsat (U. S. Naval Academy), ISX (California Polytechnic State University), Shields-1 (NASA Langley Research Center), ALBus (NASA Glenn Research Center) and SHFT-1 (NASA JPL).

Credit:
Photos and video courtesy of Rocket Lab

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Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle launched DARPA’s Radio Frequency Risk Reduction Deployment Demonstration (R3D2) mission from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 28 March 2019, at 23:27 UTC (12:27 NZDT). R3D2 is designed to to space-qualify a new type of membrane reflectarray antenna.
Credits:
Photos courtesy of DARPA/Video courtesy of Rocket Lab

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Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle launched the STP-27RD mission from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 5 May 2019, at 06:00 UTC (18:00 NZT). The STP-27RD payload (~180kg) consists of three experimental research and development satellites for the U.S. Air Force: SPARC-1, Falcon ODE and Harbinger satellites. The STP-27RD mission was nicknamed “That’s a funny looking cactus” by Rocket Lab.
Credits: Images and video courtesy of Rocket Lab

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Lift-off of the Make It Rain mission for Spaceflight occurred at 04:30 UTC on June 29 2019 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.

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Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle launched the Make It Rain mission from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 29 June 2019, at 04:30 UTC (16:30 NZST). The Make It Rain mission launched seven satellites, including BlackSky’s Global-3 microsat, two U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Prometheus satellites and Melbourne Space Program’s ACRUX-1 CubeSat. The total mission payload mass was 80 kg.

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Rocket Lab has detailed plans to recover and re-fly Electron's first stage to support increased launch frequency for small satellites.

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Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle launched the “Look Ma, No Hands” mission from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 19 August 2019, at 12:12 UTC (20 August, 00:12 NZST). The Look Ma, No Hands mission launched four satellites, two for UNSEENLABS, one for BlackSky and one for the United States Air Force Space Command.

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Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle launched the “As The Crow Flies” mission from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 17 October 2019, at 01:22 UTC (14: 22 NZDT). The “As The Crow Flies” mission launched a single microsat for satellite manufacturer and operator Astro Digital.

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Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle launched the “Running Out Of Fingers” mission from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 6 December 2019, at 08:18 UTC (21:18 NZDT). “Running Out Of Fingers” is Electron’s 10th mission, with six PocketQube microsatellites from Alba Orbital and one payload from ALE Co. Tokyo.
Credits: Images and video courtesy of Rocket Lab

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Lift-off of the Birds Of A Feather mission occurred at 02:56 UTC on January 31 2019 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.

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Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle launched the “Birds of a Feather” mission from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 31 January 2020, at 02:56 UTC (15:56 NZDT). “Birds of a Feather” is a dedicated mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and Electron’s 11th mission.
Credits: Images and video courtesy of Rocket Lab

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Lift-off of the 'Don't Stop Me Now mission occurred at 05:12 UTC on June 13 2020 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.

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Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle launched the “Don’t Stop Me Now” mission from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, on 13 June 2020, at 05:12 UTC (17:12 NZDT). “Don’t Stop Me Now” is a rideshare mission to launch five small satellites (ANDESITE for NASA, three NRO payloads, M2 Pathfinder satellite for the University of New South Wales Canberra Space) and Electron’s 12th mission.
Credits: Images and video courtesy of Rocket Lab

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