Informations : Electron is a two-stage orbital launch vehicle (with an optional third stage) developed by the New Zealand aerospace company Rocket Lab to cover the commercial small satellite launch segment (CubeSats) Its Rutherford engines are the first electric pump-fed engine to power an orbital rocket.

Rocket Lab is a U.S. aerospace manufacturer with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. The company aims to develop 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. Electron, Rocket Lab’s lightweight launch vehicle, is designed to service the small-satellite market with dedicated, high-frequency launch opportunities. Electron is designed to deliver payloads of 150 kg to a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit.

The Electron test program began in May 2017, with commercial flights announced by the company to occur at a price listed in early 2016 as US $ 4.9 million.

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