First sub-orbital launch of Electron of the Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) program for Leidos and Dynetics.
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.
See DetailsBooster expended during first flight.
Core will be expended.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.
INFO WIKILaunching at 9:24 PM ET on June 17th (01:24 UTC June 18th), the first Rocket Lab HASTE launch vehicle successfully lifted off...
Operating under a veil of secrecy pierced only by the ignition of the rocket’s engines, Rocket Lab launched the first suborbital variant of its Electron vehicle June 17.
Rocket Lab has successfully conducted a secretive suborbital test launch of its Electron vehicle. The mission, named Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE), took place at Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spac…
In what will be a quiet week for orbital launches, Rocket Lab launched its first suborbital Electron mission; SpaceX launched the Satria satellite to geostationary transfer orbit; China launched the Shiyan 25 payload to a Sun-synchronous l…