Rocket Lab · Operational · us · Launch Vehicle
Electron
High-cadence small-lift orbital vehicle; 21 launches and 100% mission success in 2025.
Verified 2026-06-17 · First flight 2017-05-25
Systems cutaway
9× Rutherford electric-pump-fed kerosene/LOX engines on S1; 1× Rutherford Vacuum on S2; S1 liftoff thrust ~190 kN.
Carbon composite construction; 1.2 m diameter; 18 m height.
Curie kick stage for precise orbital insertion; autonomous flight systems.
First stage reentry with parachute; helicopter mid-air catch tested; not yet in routine reuse operations.
Specs & Metrics
- Payload to LEO ↑ better
- 300 kg
- Maximum payload mass deliverable to low Earth orbit (~200–400 km circular), in the vehicle's stated reference configuration.
- Liftoff Thrust ↑ better
- 190 kN
- liftoff thrust; 224 kN peak first-stage
- Total first-stage thrust at liftoff (sea-level), in kilonewtons, summing all active engines and solid strap-ons.
- Liftoff Mass ↓ better
- 13 t
- Total vehicle mass at liftoff including propellant, payload, and all stages, in metric tonnes.
- Vehicle Height ↓ better
- 18 m
- Full stack height at liftoff, in metres, including fairing or spacecraft.
- Cost per kg to LEO ↓ better
- $25,000/kg
- derived: $7.5M ÷ 300 kg
- Derived cost efficiency: launch list price divided by payload-to-LEO capacity, in USD per kilogram.
- Mission Success Rate ↑ better
- 95.5%
- 85 successes out of 89 total launches through 2025
- Percentage of launch attempts rated as full mission successes over the vehicle's complete flight history.
- Launches in 2025 ↑ better
- 21
- Total number of launch attempts conducted in calendar year 2025 (Jan 1 – Dec 31 UTC).
Subsystems
9× Rutherford electric-pump-fed kerosene/LOX engines on S1; 1× Rutherford Vacuum on S2; S1 liftoff thrust ~190 kN.
Carbon composite construction; 1.2 m diameter; 18 m height.
Curie kick stage for precise orbital insertion; autonomous flight systems.
First stage reentry with parachute; helicopter mid-air catch tested; not yet in routine reuse operations.