Electron is an orbital launch vehicle designed specifically to place small satellites of up to 300 kg / 660 lbm into a wide range of low Earth orbits (LEO). Every aspect of Electron has been designed for frequency and reliability to meet the evolving needs of government and commercial small satellite operators.
Since its first launch in 2017, Electron has become the leading launch vehicle dedicated to small satellites and one of the most frequently launched orbital rockets in the world. More than 50 satellites have been deployed to orbit by Electron for commercial and government partners, including NASA, the U.S. Air Force, DARPA, and the National Reconnaissance Office.
By incorporating an orbital transfer vehicle stage (Kick Stage) that can deploy multiple payloads to unique orbits on the same mission, Electron can support dedicated missions and rideshare options without the complexity and schedule risk typically associated with launching on medium or heavy lift launch vehicles.
Electron is launched from Rocket Lab's two launch sites in New Zealand and Virginia, which combined, can support more than 130 launches every year.