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Electron | The Lightning God Defends (iQPS Launch 8)

Rocket Lab · Electron

Electron on the pad
Photograph via The Space Devs, from agency and operator press material. Copyright remains with its owner.
Launched
Status
Launch Successful
Orbit
Low Earth Orbit
Site
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).

The mission

Synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company iQPS.

Vehicle and site

Rocket
Electron
Mission
The Lightning God Defends (iQPS Launch 8)
Mission type
Earth Science
Pad
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B
Location
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Coordinates
-39.2628°, 177.8645°

Electron is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle (with an optional third stage) developed by the American aerospace company Rocket Lab. Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle designed to launch small satellites and cubesats to sun-synchronous orbit and low earth orbit. The Electron is the first orbital class rocket to use electric-pump-fed engines, powered by the 9 Rutherford engines on the first stage. It is also used as a suborbital testbed (called HASTE) for hypersonics research.

Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is an American aerospace manufacturer with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. The company develops lightweight, cost-effective commercial rocket launch services. The Electron Program was founded on the premise that small payloads such as CubeSats require dedicated small launch vehicles and flexibility not currently offered by traditional rocket systems. Its rocket, the Electron, is a light-weight rocket and is now operating commercially. The company is also producing a variety of spacecrafts and spacecrafts components.

Launches to date
93
Successful
89
Failed
4
Consecutive successes
52

Watch and read

Schedule from Launch Library 2, rebuilt hourly. Dates slip: a time given to the minute is a target, not a promise, and this page reflects the schedule as it stood at the last build. All upcoming launches.