Watch the Launch

Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Kinéis Killed the RadIoT Star (Kinéis 6-10)

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Communications

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand Probability: 70%

Second batch of five satellites for the French Kinéis IoT constellation designed to operate with 25 nanosatellites of 30 kg each.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • Sept. 21, 2024, 2:48 a.m.

Launch success.


Cosmic_Penguin • Sept. 21, 2024, 1:02 a.m.

Payload deployment confirmed.


Cosmic_Penguin • Sept. 20, 2024, 11:02 p.m.

Liftoff.


LL2 • Sept. 20, 2024, 10:40 p.m.

Official Webcast by Rocket Lab has started


Nosu • Sept. 20, 2024, 8:32 p.m.

Weather 70% GO


Electron

Family:
Configuration:

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 Details
Specifications
  • Minimum Stage
    2
  • Max Stage
    3
  • Length
    18.0 m
  • Diameter
    1.2 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    1.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    13.0 T
  • Thrust
    162.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Electron
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Electron
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $6000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    300.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    225.0 kg

Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab

(RL)

CEO: Peter Beck Founded: 2006 Successes: 92 Failures: 4 Pending: 42

Agency Type:

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 WIKI
SpaceNews

Electron launches second set of Kinéis satellites

An Electron launched a second set of satellites for French startup Kinéis Sept. 20, putting that company on track to begin offering Internet of Things services.

Spaceflight Now

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket experiences abort as its Rutherford engines began firing, prior to liftoff

When it launches, the mission will be the 53rd launch of an Electron rocket to date. It was scrubbed as the nine Rutherford engines were firing, but prior to liftoff.

NASASpaceflight

Launch Roundup: Falcon 9 and Electron to extend satellite constellations

This week’s manifest includes the delayed launches of a Falcon 9 with Galileo global positioning satellites and an Electron with a second batch of satellites for Kinéis. SpaceX will also launch one batch of Starlink satellites from Califor…

NASASpaceflight

Launch Roundup: Polaris Dawn, ISS crewed launch headline busy week

This week’s manifest features up to four Falcon 9 launches, including the highly anticipated Polaris Dawn crewed mission, a mission carrying AST SpaceMobile’s first five cellphone-compatible broadband satellites, and the delayed launch of …

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A


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Success
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PIESAT-2 13-16
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Electron
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Gravity-1
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