Rocket Lab is a public launch provider and aerospace manufacturer. The company was founded in New Zealand in 2006 by Peter Beck and has its headquarters in Long Beach, California (USA). Rocket Lab uses its two-stage Electron rocket to service the commercial small satellite launch market. The first test launches of an Electron rocket took place on 25 May 2017 and 21 Januari 2018 after which the Electron performed its first commercial flight in November 2018. Meanwhile, Rocket Lab has already performed dozens of launches on behalf of various commercial and governmental clients such as Planet Labs, Spire Global, Spaceflight Industries, NASA and NRO. Learn about all the different launches of the commercial Electron rocket from the space company Rocket Lab thanks to this overview!
Electron launch overview
No.
Mission name
Date launch
Rocket
Launch base
Orbit
Payload
Patch
Video
Mission succes?
1
"It's a Test"
25/05/2017
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
Test payload (Rocket Lab)
Failure
2
"Still Testing"
21/01/2018
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
Dove Pioneer (Planet Labs)
Lemur-2 72 (Spire)
Lemur-2 73 (Spire)
Humanity Star (Rocket Lab)
Success
3
"It's Business Time"
11/11/2018
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
Lemur-2 82 (Spire)
Lemur-2 83 (Spire)
CICERO 10 (GeoOptics Inc.)
IRVINE 01 (Irvine Public School)
NABEO 1 (HPS GmbH)
Proxima 1 (Fleet Space Technologies)
Proxima 2 (Fleet Space Technologies)
Success
4
"This One's For Pickering"
16/12/2018
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
ALBus (NASA)
CeREs (NASA)
NMTSat (New Mexico Institute of Mining)
Da Vinci (North Idaho STEM Charter)
RSat-P (US Naval Academy)
Shields 1 (NASA)
CubeSail A (University of Illinois)
STF 1 (NASA / West Virginia University)
ISX (NASA / JPL)
CHOMPTT (University of Florida / NASA)
SHFT 2 (DARPA)
TOMSat EagleScout (Aerospace Corp.)
TOMSat R3 (Aerospace Corp.)
Success
5
"Two Thumbs Up"
28/03/2019
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
R3D2 (DARPA)
Success
6
"That's a Funny Looking Cactus"
05/05/2019
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
Harbinger (York Space Systems)
SPARC 1 (Air Force Research Lab.)
Falcon-ODE (U.S. Air Force Academy)
Success
7
"Make it Rain"
29/06/2019
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
BlackSky 3 (BlackSky Global)
Prometheus 2.7 (Los Alamos National Lab.)
Prometheus 2.9 (Los Alamos National Lab.)
ACRUX-1 (Melbourne Space Program)
SpaceBEE 8 (Swarm Technologies)
SpaceBEE 9 (Swarm Technologies)
Painani 1 (SEDENA)
Success
8
"Look Ma, No Hands"
19/08/2019
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
Breizh Recon Orbiter (UnseenLabs)
BlackSky Global 4 (BlackSky Global)
Pearl White 1 (AFSPC)
Pearl White 2 (AFSPC)
Success
9
"As The Crow Flies"
17/10/2019
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
Palisade (Astro Digital)
Success
10
"Running Out Of Fingers"
06/12/2019
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
ATL-1 (ATL Ltd.)
Fossasat-1 (Fossa Systems)
NOOR-1A (Alba Orbital)
NOOR-1B (Alba Orbital)
SMOG-P (BME University)
TRSI Sat (My Radar)
ALE-2 (Astra Live Experiences)
Success
11
"Birds of a Feather"
31/01/2020
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
NROL-151 (NRO)
Success
12
"Don't Stop Me Now"
13/06/2020
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
USA-301 (NRO)
USA-302 (NRO)
USA-303 (NRO)
ANDESITE (Boston University)
RAAF M2PF (Australian Defence)
Photon Pathfinder (Rocket Lab)
Success
13
"Pic's or it Didn't happen"
04/07/2020
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
CE-SAT-IB (Canon)
SuperDove 240E (Planet Labs)
SuperDove 240B (Planet Labs)
SuperDove 2411 (Planet Labs)
SuperDove 2410 (Planet Labs)
SuperDove 2418 (Planet Labs)
Faraday 1 (InSpace)
Failure
14
"I Can't Believe It's Not Optical"
31/08/2020
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
Sequoia (Capella Space)
Photon 01 (Rocket Lab)
Success
15
"In Focus"
28/10/2020
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
SuperDove x 9 (Planet Labs)
CE-SAT-IIB (Canon)
Success
16
"Return To Sender"
20/11/2020
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
Dragracer A (TriSept Corp.)
Dragracer B (TriSept Corp.)
BRO-2 (UnseenLabs)
BRO-3 (UnseenLabs)
APSS-1 (QuakeTEC / APSS)
SpaceBEE x 24 (Swarm Technologies)
Landmapper BC 5 (Astro Digital)
Gnome Chompski(Rocket Lab)
Success
17
"The Owl's Night Begins"
15/12/2020
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
StriX-a (Synspective)
Success
18
"Another OneLeaves The Crust"
20/01/2021
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
GMS-T (OHB)
Success
19
"They Go Up So Fast"
22/03/2021
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
BlackSky Global 9 (BlackSky Global)
Centauri 3 (Fleet Space Technologies)
Myriota 7 (Myriota)
Veery Hatchling (Care Weather Tech.)
RAAF-M2 A (Australian Defence)
RAAF-M2 B (Australian Defence)
Gunsmoke-J 3 (SMDC)
Photon (Rocket Lab)
Success
20
"Running Out Of Toes"
15/05/2021
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
BlackSky-8 (BlackSky Global)
BlackSky-9 (BlackSky Global)
Failure
21
"It's A Little Chile Up Here"
29/07/2021
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
Monolith (U.S. Space Force)
Success
22
"Love At First Insight"
18/11/2021
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
BlackSky-10 (BlackSky Global)
BlackSky-11 (BlackSky Global)
Success
23
"A Data With Destiny"
09/12/2021
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand)
LEO
BlackSky-13 (BlackSky Global)
BlackSky-14 (BlackSky Global)
Success
24
"The Owls Night Continues"
28/02/2022
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
LEO
StriX-β (Synspective)
Success
25
"Without Mission A Beat"
02/04/2022
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A (New Zealand)
LEO
BlackSky 16 (BlackSky Global)
BlackSky 17 (BlackSky Global)
Success
26
"There And Back Again"
02/05/2022
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A (New Zealand)
SSO
16 x SpaceBEE (Swarm Technologies)
8 x SpaceBEENZ (Swarm Technologies)
3 x E-Space Demo (E-Space)
BRO 6 (UnseenLabs)
AuroraSat 1 (Aurora Propulsion Tech.)
Unicorn 2 (Alba Orbital)
MyRadar 1 (ACME)
TRSI-Sat 2 (ACME)
TRSI-Sat 3 (ACME)
Copia (Astrix)
Success
27
"CAPSTONE"
28/06/2022
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
Lunar
CAPSTONE (NASA / Advanced Space)
Success
28
"Wise One Looks Ahead"
13/07/2022
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A (New Zealand)
LEO
NROL 162 (NRO)
Success
29
"Antipodean Adventure"
04/08/2022
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
LEO
NROL 199 (NRO)
Success
30
"The Owl Spreads Its Wings"
15/09/2022
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
SSO
StriX-1 (Synspective)
Success
31
"It Argos Up From Here"
07/10/2022
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
SSO
GAzelle (NOAA/CNES)
Success
32
"Catch Me If You Can"
04/11/2022
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
SSO
MATS (SNSA)
Success
33
"Virginia Is For Launch Lovers"
25/01/2023
Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (USA)
LEO
HawkEye 6A (HawkEye 360)
HawkEye 6B (HawkEye 360)
HawkEye 6C (HawkEye 360)
Success
34
"Stronger Together"
16/03/2023
Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (USA)
LEO
Capella 9 (Capella Space)
Capella 10 (Capella Space)
Success
35
"The Beat Goes On"
24/03/2023
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
LEO
BlackSky-18 (BlackSky Global)
BlackSky-19 (BlackSky Global)
Success
36
"Rocket Like A Hurricane"
08/05/2023
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
LEO
TROPICS 05 (NASA)
TROPICS 06 (NASA)
Success
37
"Coming To A Storm Near You"
26/05/2023
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
LEO
TROPICS 03 (NASA)
TROPICS 07 (NASA)
Success
38
"Baby Come Back"
18/07/2023
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
SSO
Telesat LEO 3 (TeleSat)
Starling 1 (NASA)
Starling 2 (NASA)
Starling 3 (NASA)
Starling 4 (NASA)
Lemur-2 169 (Spire)
Lemur-2 170 (Spire)
Success
39
"We Love The Nightlife"
23/08/2023
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
LEO
Acadia 1 (Capella Space)
Success
40
"We Will Never Desert You"
19/09/2023
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B (New Zealand)
LEO
Acadia 2 (Capella Space)
Failure
Images: Rocket Lab
Kris Christiaens
This article was published by FutureSpaceFlight founder and chief editor Kris Christiaens.
