List of Electron first stages

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An Electron first-stage booster is a reusable rocket stage used on the Rocket Lab Electron launch vehicle.[1] It is made of a carbon composite developed and manufactured by Rocket Lab. In 2019, Rocket Lab announced plans to recover and reuse the first stage of Electron despite previously dismissing the idea. Flight 16 was the first launch to test recovery procedures followed by flight 20 which, despite a failed primary mission, still achieved a successful Splashdown recovery and flight 22. On 5 April 2022, Rocket Lab announced that flight 26 would feature the first full recovery attempt with a helicopter catch. The flight launched on 2 May 2022 UTC from launch pad 1A in Mahīa. While the Sikorsky S-92 was able to intersect the booster mid-air, the booster was released at the pilot's discretion after an unexpectedly large increase in mass. The booster parachuted into the ocean where it was recovered by ship.

Rocket Lab has not stated or shown any numbering scheme for these boosters, and so the boosters are named in accordance to their flights, 'F' standing for 'Flight'. This means that there is a possibility Rocket Lab has a different naming scheme, and the boosters could have different serial numbers compared to what launch they flew.

List of boosters[edit]

Inactive Electron/Curie[edit]

Serial Number Flight Number Flight Name Date Payload Mission Status Landing Status Status
F1 Flight 1 It's a Test 25 May 2017 Humanity Star Failure (LC-1A) No Attempt Destroyed[2]
F2 Flight 2 Still Testing 21 January 2018 Humanity Star, Dove Pioneer, & Lemur-2[3] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F3 Flight 3 It's Business Time 11 November 2018 Lemur-2, Irvine-01, CICERO, NABEO-1 & Proxima[4] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F4 Flight 4 This One's for Pickering 16 December 2018 ELeNa XIX[5] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F5 Flight 5 Two Thumbs Up 28 March 2019 DARPA R3D2[6] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F6 Flight 6 That's a Funny Looking Cactus 5 May 2019 STP-27RD[7] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F7 Flight 7 Make It Rain 29 June 2019 BlackSky-3, Prometheus, ACRUX-1, Painani-1 & SpaceBEE 8 & 9[8] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F8 Flight 8 Look Ma, No Hands 19 August 2019 BRO-1, BlackSky-4 & Pearl White 1 & 2[9] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F9 Flight 9 As the Crow Flies 17 October 2019 Palisade[10] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F10 Flight 10 Running Out of Fingers 6 December 2019 ATL-1,[11] Fossasat-1, NOOR 1A & 1B, SMOG-P, TRSI-SAT & ALE-2[12] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F11 Flight 11 Birds of a Feather 31 January 2020 NROL-151[13] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F12 Flight 12 Don't Stop Me Now 13 June 2020 ANDESITE, M2-Pathfinder & 3 NRO Satellites[14] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F13 Flight 13 Pics Or It Didn't Happen 4 July 2020 CE-SAT-1B, Flock-4v & Faraday-1[15] Failure (LC-1A)[16] No Attempt Expended
F15 Flight 15 In Focus 28 October 2020 Flock-4e & CE-SAT-2B[17] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F16 Flight 16 Return To Sender 20 November 2020 DRAGRACER, BRO-2 & 3, APSS-1, Spacebees & Gnome Chompski[18] Success (LC-1A) Success (Splashdown)[19] Retired[20]
F17 Flight 17 The Owl's Night Begins 15 December 2020 StriX-α[21] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F18 Flight 18 Another One Leaves The Crust 20 January 2021 OHB Cosmos[22] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F20 Flight 20 Running Out of Toes 15 May 2021 BlackSky 8 & 9[23] Failure (LC-1A)[24] Success (Splashdown)[25] Retired[26]
F21 Flight 21 It's a Little Chile Up Here 29 July 2021 STP-27RM (Monolith)[27] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F22 Flight 22 Love at First Insight 18 November 2021 BlackSky 10 & 11[28] Success (LC-1A) Success (Splashdown)[29] Retired[30]
F23 Flight 23 A Data With Destiny 9 December 2021 BlackSky 14 & 15[31] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F24 Flight 24 The Owl's Night Continues 28 February 2022 StriX-b[32] Success (LC-1B) No Attempt Expended
F25 Flight 25 Without Mission A Beat 2 April 2022 BlackSky 16 & 17[33] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F26 Flight 26 There And Back Again 2 May 2022 Various Payloads[34] Success (LC-1A) Partial Success (Catch)[35] Retired[36]
F28 Flight 28 Wise One Looks Ahead 13 July 2022 NROL-162[37] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F29 Flight 29 Antipodean Adventure 4 August 2022 NROL-199[38] Success (LC-1B) No Attempt Expended
F30 Flight 30 The Owl Spreads Its Wings 15 September 2022 Strix-1[39] Success (LC-1B) No Attempt Expended
F31 Flight 31 It Argos Up From Here 7 October 2022 Argos-4 (GAzelle)[40] Success (LC-1B) No Attempt Expended
F32 Flight 32 Catch Me If You Can 4 November 2022 MATS[41] Success (LC-1B) Partial Success (Catch)[42] Retired[43]
F33 Flight 33 Virginia is for Launch Lovers 24 January 2023 HawkEye 360 x 3 Success (LC-2) No Attempt Expended
F34 Flight 34 Stronger Together 16 March 2023 Capella 9 & 10 Success (LC-2) No Attempt Expended
F35 Flight 35 The Beat Goes On 24 March 2023 BlackSky 18 & 19 Gen 2 Success (LC-1B) Success (Splashdown) Retired
F36 Flight 36 Rocket Like A Hurricane 8 May 2023 TROPICS x 2 Success (LC-1B) No Attempt Expended
F37 Flight 37 Coming To A Storm Near You 26 May 2023 TROPICS x 2 Success (LC-1B) No Attempt Expended
F39 Flight 39 Baby Come Back 18 July 2023 Starling, LEO-3 & Lemur-2 Success (LC-1B) Success (Splashdown) Retired
F40 Flight 40 We Love The Nightlife 24 August 2023 Acadia Mission 1 Success (LC-1B) Success (Splashdown) Retired
F41 Flight 41 We Will Never Desert You 19 September 2023 Acadia Mission 2 Failure (LC-1B) No Attempt Expended
F42 Flight 42 The Moon God Awakens 15 December 2023 QPS-SAR-5 Success (LC-1B) No Attempt Expended
F44 Flight 44 On Closer Inspection 18 February 2024 ADRAS-J Success (LC-1B) No Attempt Expended
F45 Flight 45 Owl Night Long 9 March 2024 Strix Success (LC-1B) No Attempt Expended
F46 Flight 46 Live and Let Fly 20 March 2024 NROL-123 Success (LC-2) No Attempt Expended
F47 Flight 47 Beginning Of The Swarm 23 April 2024 ACS-3[44] & NeonSat-1 Success (LC-1B) No Attempt Expended


Active Electron/Curie[edit]

Serial Number Flight Number Flight Name Date Payload Mission Status Landing Status Status
F43 Flight 43 Four Of A Kind 31 January 2024 Skylark Success (LC-1B) Success (Splashdown) Awaiting Launch


Electron/Photon[edit]

The Photon kick-stage is an optional extra on the Electron launch vehicle allowing for heavier payload capacity or higher altitudes/interplanetary missions. The kick-stage was first used on Electron's 14th flight (Rocket Lab's return to launch after the "Pics Or It Didn't Happen" failure).

Serial Number Flight Number Flight Name Date Payload Mission Status Landing Status Status
F14 Flight 14 I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical 31 August 2020 Sequoia & First Light[45] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F19 Flight 19 They Go Up So Fast 22 March 2021 Gunsmoke-J, M2, Veery Hatchling, Myriota-7, Centauri-3 & BlackSky-7[46] Success (LC-1A) No Attempt Expended
F27 Flight 27 CAPSTONE 28 June 2022 CAPSTONE Success (LC-1) No Attempt Expended

Electron/HASTE[edit]

The HASTE launch vehicle is a sub-orbital testbed derived from the launch vehicle Electron. It has a third stage for suborbitad deployment, and has an option of different fairings to use on the vehicle. HASTE is used for payloads that do not need an orbital capability, and it also services optional trajectories depending on the customer. Any HASTE launch will always have a first stage that is expended.

Serial Number Flight Number Flight Name Date Payload Mission Status
HF1 Flight 38 Scout’s Arrow 18 June 2023 DYNAMO-A Success (LC-2)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Reusable Rockets". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  2. ^ "AFTS Triggered". Next Spaceflight.
  3. ^ "Still Testing". Rocket Lab.
  4. ^ "It's Business Time" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  5. ^ "This One's For Pickering" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  6. ^ "Two Thumbs Up" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  7. ^ "STP-27RD". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  8. ^ "Make It Rain" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  9. ^ "Look Ma, No Hands" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  10. ^ "As The Crow Flies" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  11. ^ "ATL-1". NASA.gov.
  12. ^ "Running Out Of Fingers" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  13. ^ "Birds Of a Feather" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  14. ^ "Don't Stop Me Now" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  15. ^ "Pics Or It Didn't Happen" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  16. ^ "Launch Failure". Rocket Lab.
  17. ^ "In Focus" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  18. ^ "Our Most Diverse Mission Yet". Rocket Lab.
  19. ^ "Return To Sender". Rocket Lab.
  20. ^ "Rocket Lab Returns Previously Flown Electron to Production Line in Preparation for First Reflight". businesswire.
  21. ^ "The Owl's Night Begins" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  22. ^ "Another One Leaves the Crust" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  23. ^ "Running Out Of Toes" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  24. ^ "Running Out Of Toes Failure". Rocket Lab.
  25. ^ "Running Out Of Toes Failure". Rocket Lab.
  26. ^ "Rocket Lab Returns Previously Flown Electron to Production Line in Preparation for First Reflight". businesswire.
  27. ^ "It's a Little Chile Up Here" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  28. ^ "Love At First Insight" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  29. ^ "Love At First Insight Splashdown". Rocket Lab.
  30. ^ "Rocket Lab Returns Previously Flown Electron to Production Line in Preparation for First Reflight". businesswire.
  31. ^ "A Data With Destiny" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  32. ^ "The Owl's Night Continues" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  33. ^ "Without Mission A Beat" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  34. ^ "There And Back Again" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  35. ^ "There And Back Again Catch". Rocket Lab.
  36. ^ "Rocket Lab Returns Previously Flown Electron to Production Line in Preparation for First Reflight". businesswire.
  37. ^ "Wise One Looks Ahead" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  38. ^ "Antipodean Adventure" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  39. ^ "The Owl Spreads Its Wings" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  40. ^ "It Argos Up From Here" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  41. ^ "Catch Me If You Can" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  42. ^ "Catch Me If You Can Failed Catch". Rocket Lab.
  43. ^ "Rocket Lab Returns Previously Flown Electron to Production Line in Preparation for First Reflight". businesswire.
  44. ^ "ACS3". NASA.
  45. ^ "I Can't Believe It's Not Optical" (PDF). Rocket Lab.
  46. ^ "100th Satellite". Rocket Lab.
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