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Electron | It's a Test
Rocket LabLaunch Failure

It's a Test

Electron

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Historical mission record

This page records Electron | It's a Test and its reported outcome: Launch Failure. The date above is a historical record.

Source record updated . This is a source update, not a confirmed launch time.

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Mission status
Launch Failure

Status reported by the mission data provider.

LAUNCH SITERocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Mission

This is the first test flight of the Electron rocket. Built and operated by Rocket Lab, Electron is meant to offer low-price launches for the small-sat market.

Launch vehicle
Electron
Mission type
Test Flight
Destination orbit
Low Earth Orbit
Launch pad
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A
Provider
Rocket Lab

The vehicle

Published configuration and flight history.

Electron
Launch vehicle

Electron

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
Diameter
1.2 m
Stages
3
Recorded launches
80
First flight
2017-05-25

Recorded timing

This is a mission record, not an upcoming calendar appointment.

4h windowPublished target
WINDOW OPENS
WINDOW CLOSES

Target ·

The target marker shows its position within the published window. The schedule may change before launch.

Mission update

Third-party contractor supporting the launch misconfigured ground equipment that translated radio signals from the rocket into data used by range safety officials. That caused “extensive corruption of received position data,” resulting in the data loss that led safety officials to trigger the rocket’s flight termination system.

Launch site & orbit

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

The mission in perspective

Launch site & orbit

Explore the launch pad, then pull back to see the shape of the destination orbit.

Understand this orbit
NASA Blue Marble map of Earth's continents and oceans
Representative orbit · accelerated illustrationNo live tracking or simulated ascent. NASA Blue Marble.

Coverage & sources

Links supplied by the mission data provider.
Coverage and times may change.

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