Electron is a small two-stage rocket built largely from carbon composite and powered by Rutherford engines, which use electric, battery-driven pumps instead of the gas turbines found on larger rockets. It gives small satellites a dedicated ride to orbit rather than waiting for a spare seat on a big rocket.
Rocket Lab launches Electron from New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula and from Wallops Island in Virginia, and has repeatedly recovered first stages from the ocean as it works toward reuse. The company is now developing a larger, reusable rocket called Neutron to complement it.
Electron proved there is a real market for small, frequent, dedicated launches. It gave startups, universities, and government payloads a way to reach the exact orbit they need on their own schedule, and made Rocket Lab the busiest small-launch provider in the world.
Key Facts
- Operator
- Rocket Lab
- First flight
- May 25, 2017
- Payload to LEO
- About 300 kg
- Engines
- Rutherford, 3D-printed with electric pumps
- Launch sites
- Mahia, New Zealand and Wallops, Virginia
Timeline
May 2017
First Electron test flight, 'It's a Test'
January 2018
First successful orbital flight, 'Still Testing'
November 2020
First first-stage ocean recovery for reuse studies
Next up
Continued launches while Neutron is developed
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Facts last reviewed 2026-07-12. Official mission page: rocketlabusa.com