Rocket Lab reached the milestone 50th launch of its Electron rocket in record time.
A Electron lifted off from Pad B at Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, at 2:13 PM EDT June 20 (1813 GMT; 6:13 AM local New Zealand time June 21). The rocket operated on an immediate launch window, but lifted off at the first opportunity within a 14-day launch window.
The mission, that one Rocket Lab called “No Time Toulouse”, carries five satellites for Kinéis, a provider of satellite connectivity via the Internet of Things (IoT). The satellites were deployed in a precise order, one after the other, and were completed today, as planned, approximately one hour and six minutes after launch.
“MISSION SUCCESS for our 50th Electron launch! Welcome to space, @KineisIoT. Congratulations to the entire Rocket Lab team for achieving 50 launches faster than any other commercially developed rocket. Thank you to the many customers who have worked with Electron flown and helped us revolutionize access to low-Earth orbit for small satellites,” Rocket Lab said via X shortly after deployment today.
MISSION SUCCESS for our 50th Electron launch! Welcome to space, @KineisIoT. Congratulations to the entire Rocket Lab team on achieving 50 launches faster than any other commercially developed rocket. Thank you to the many customers who flew with Electron and helped us… pic.twitter.com/7ySqmc6cjbJune 20, 2024
Based in Toulouse, France, Kinéis is backed by private and public investors, including the French space agency CNES. The mission is the first of a planned five; Rocket Lab will send 25 satellites into space to complete the Kinéis constellation.
“No Time Toulouse” was Rocket Lab’s 50th Electron mission, following the first in May 2017, which ended in failure. Includes half a century of launches An Hypersonic accelerator Suborbital test electron launch. Electrons were launched into ash exclusively from New Zealand first launch from American soil last year.
The milestone came quickly: seven years and one month after Electron’s debut. For comparison, SpaceX lasted seven years and nine months run 50 Falcon 9 is launched, while United Launch Alliance is venerable Atlas V rocket reached the milestone in just under 10 years, and the now retired European Ariane 5 in 11 years and 9 months.
The development and success of Electron – overcoming key challenges along the way – have positioned Rocket Lab as a major player in the small satellite launch market.
The carbon composite rocket uses electric pump-fed Rutherford engines that burn rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX). 300 kilograms of cargo can be transported low Earth orbit and has become a popular choice for special missions, such as “No Time Toulouse”, as well as smaller rideshare missions.
Founder of Rocket Lab Peter Beck Place the performance in the right context within a company after at X ahead of the milestone launch. Beck recounted a meeting with a venture capitalist in the early days of the company and succinctly noted the hurdles ahead in the potential investor’s summary of Beck’s proposal.
Considering all the hurdles we had to overcome, achieving our first launch seemed highly unlikely. As we approach our 50th launch, @Peter_J_Beck reflects on the magnitude of the task ahead to bring Electron to life. Fortunately, we have never shied away from a… pic.twitter.com/MnZChovpDYJune 17, 2024
“That sounded completely absurd. It went something like, ‘So you don’t have a degree. You come from a country that has never put anything into orbit. You think you can beat Richard Branson. You’re going to launch a rocket from carbon composite; that’s never been done before. You’re proposing to 3D print a rocket engine; that’s never been done before. You’re going to have a bilateral treaty signed between those two countries to make this possible, and you think that you can get there faster than everyone else.”
Beck said he systematically went through each of these points and explained how Rocket Lab would address them. “And they led the B round [of funding],” he added in the X post.
Rocket Lab is working on it now reuse of Electron first stages which are fished out of the sea after returning.
The company is also making progress on a new, larger launch vehicle called Neutron, whose name ties in with Rocket Lab’s subatomic particle theme. (The company is also building a satellite bus called Photon.) The next-generation reusable rocket is expected to make its first flight in mid-2025.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on June 20 at 3:25 PM ET with news of the successful satellite deployment.