Stonehenge

The mission

Sub-orbital launch of the Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) program for a confidential customer.

Type

Government/top secret

Destination

Suborbital

The rocket

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.

Height

18 m

Built by

Rocket Lab

First flew

May 25, 2017

Lifts to low Earth orbit

300 kg

View 4 specifications Show less

Diameter

1.2 m

Mass at liftoff

13 t

Thrust at liftoff

162 kN

Stages

2 to 3

93 flights, 89 of them successful. 7 boosters brought back from 9 attempts.

rocketlabusa.com → Wikipedia →

The operator

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.

Sector

Commercial

Based in

USA

Founded

2006

Run by

Peter Beck, CEO

93 launches so far, 89 of them successful. The last 52 in a row went to plan.

rocketlabcorp.com → Wikipedia →

The launch site

It went up from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C) at Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA.

See the pad on a map →