Rocket Lab reached the milestone of the 50th launch of its Electron rocket in record time.
An Electron lifted off from Pad B at Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, at 2:13 p.m. EDT June 20 (1813 GMT; 6:13 a.m. NZ time June 21). The rocket operated with an immediate launch window, but took off at the first opportunity in the 14-day launch window.
Mission which Rocket Lab named “No Time Toulouse” carries five satellites for Kinéis, a provider of satellite connectivity to the Internet of Things (IoT). The satellites were deployed in precise order, one after the other, with the deployment completed about an hour and six minutes after launch today, as planned.
“MISSION SUCCESS for our 50th Electron launch! Welcome to orbit, @KineisIoT. Congratulations to the entire Rocket Lab team for reaching 50 launches faster than any other commercially developed rocket. Thank you to the many customers who have flown the Electron and helped us revolutionize access to orbit for small satellites,” Rocket Lab said via X shortly after today’s deployment.
MISSION SUCCESS for our 50th Electron launch! Welcome to orbit, @KineisIoT. Congratulations to the entire Rocket Lab team for achieving 50 launches faster than any other commercially developed rocket. Thanks to the many customers who flew 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 five planned; Rocket Lab will send 25 satellites into orbit to complete the Kinéis constellation.
“No Time Toulouse” was Rocket Lab’s 50th Electron mission after the first failed in May 2017. Half a century of starts includes one Hypersonic accelerator suborbital test electron launch. Electrons started only from New Zealand until first launch from American soil last year.
The milestone came quickly — seven years and one month after the Electron’s debut. For comparison, SpaceX it lasted seven years and nine months behavior 50 Falcon 9 launches, while United Launch Alliance is respectable Atlas V the rocket reached the milestone in less than 10 years, and Europe’s now retired Ariane 5 in 11 years and 9 months.
Electron’s development and success—overcoming significant challenges along the way—has made Rocket Lab a major player in the small satellite launch market.
The carbon composite rocket uses pump-driven Rutherford electric motors burning rocket kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX). It can carry 661 pounds (300 kilograms) of payload low earth orbit and has become a popular choice for specialized missions such as “No Time Toulouse” as well as smaller ride-sharing missions.
founder of Rocket Lab Peter Beck put success in context in society post to X before triggering the milestone. Recounting a meeting with a venture capitalist in the company’s early days, Beck succinctly noted the obstacles ahead by summarizing Beck’s pitch to a potential investor.
When you look at all the obstacles 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 of us to bring Electron to life. Luckily we never shied away… pic.twitter.com/MnZChovpDYJune 17, 2024
“That sounded completely absurd. It sounded something like, “So you don’t have a degree. You are from a country that has never put anything into orbit before. You think you can beat Richard Branson. You will build a carbon composite rocket that has never been made before. You get a bilateral treaty signed between the two countries that allows you to do that, and you think you’re going to get there faster than anybody else.’
Beck said he systematically went through each of these points and explained how Rocket Lab will address them. “And they led the B-round [of funding]” X added in the post.
Rocket Lab is now working on reuse of the first phases of the electron which are fished from the sea upon return.
The company is also making progress on a new, larger launch vehicle called Neutron, whose name is consistent with Rocket Lab’s theme of subatomic particles. (The company is also building a satellite bus called Photon.) The next-generation reusable rocket is expected to take off for the first time in mid-2025.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 3:25 PM ET on June 20 with news of the satellite’s successful deployment.