Electron

Rocket Lab uses the Electron rocket’s kick stage as a transfer vehicle and has modified it into the Photon satellite bus.

Issues with NASA’s certification of an autonomous flight termination system have delayed the introduction of Electron launches from Wallops, potentially slipping the first Wallops Electron launch originally scheduled for 2020 to as late as November of an unspecified year.

Rocket Lab built Launch Complex 2 adjacent to Pad 0-A at Wallops Island for its Electron rocket.

Rocket Lab spent about $100,000,000 to reach orbit with its Electron rocket.

Rocket Lab operates the Electron small rocket and plans to develop a larger Neutron vehicle to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

Rocket Lab developed the Electron small launch vehicle and the Photon satellite bus and plans to develop a medium-class launcher called Neutron.

CAPSTONE is scheduled to launch later 2021 on an Electron rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia.

Rocket Lab's Electron rocket failed to reach orbit on 2021-05-15 when the vehicle’s computer system detected a problem with the second stage engine and shut it down.

The Electron first stage splashed down under parachute after the 2021-05-15 launch and a recovery team placed it on a boat to return to Rocket Lab’s factory.

The upgraded heat shield at the base of the Electron first stage performed well on the 2021-05-15 flight and the stage's engines will undergo hot-fire testing.

Rocket Lab reported that the Electron first stage appeared to perform as expected on 2021-05-15 and did not contribute to the mission failure.

Rocket Lab planned to recover the Electron first stage on the 2021-05-15 mission to test the effectiveness of enhancements made after a 2020-11-01 launch and recovery as part of its effort to make the first stage reusable.

Rocket Lab continued to receive good telemetry from Electron following the safe second stage engine shutdown, providing engineers comprehensive data for review.

Electron’s first stage performed nominally during the 2021-05-15 mission and did not contribute to the flight issue.

Electron completed a nominal first stage engine burn, stage separation, and second stage ignition before the anomaly on 2021-05-15.

Prior to the 2021-05-15 anomaly, Rocket Lab had completed 17 successful Electron missions and deployed more than 100 satellites to orbit.

The 20th Electron mission, launched on 2021-05-15, carried payloads for BlackSky and was named "Running Out Of Toes."

The 2021-05-15 Electron was carrying two imaging satellites for geospatial intelligence company BlackSky.