Successful launch
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Catch Me If You Can (MATS)
Electron
Historical mission record
This page records Electron | Catch Me If You Can (MATS) and its reported outcome: Launch Successful. The date above is a historical record.
Source record updated . This is a source update, not a confirmed launch time.
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Status reported by the mission data provider.
Mission
The payload is a science research satellite by space systems provider OHB Sweden for the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). The Mesospheric Airglow/Aerosol Tomography and Spectroscopy (MATS) satellite is the basis for the SNSA’s science mission to investigate atmospheric waves and better understand how the upper layer of Earth’s atmosphere interacts with wind and weather patterns closer to the ground. MATS was originally due to fly on a Russian launch service before the mission was manifested on Rocket Lab’s Electron.
- Launch vehicle
- Electron
- Mission type
- Earth Science
- Destination orbit
- Sun-Synchronous Orbit
- Launch pad
- Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B
- Provider
- Rocket Lab
- Recovery
- Helicopter Catch, Helicopter capture of the Electron first stage was not achieved. +1
The vehicle
Published configuration and flight history.

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

32
- Recovery
- South Pacific
- Landing method
- Helicopter Catch
Recorded timing
This is a mission record, not an upcoming calendar appointment.
Target ·
The target marker shows its position within the published window. The schedule may change before launch.
Launch site & orbit
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Launch site & orbit
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Understand this orbit
Coverage & sources
Links supplied by the mission data provider.
Coverage and times may change.
Mission coverage
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