Rocket Lab is an American and New Zealand Aerospace company that develops small, lightweight and cost effective rockets. The company was founded in 2006 by Peter Beck and was developed to open the market for small satellites.
Headquarters: Huntington Beach, California, U.S.
Launch/Test sites: Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand.
The Atea-1 sounding rocket, was claimed to be the first private rocket to reach space on the southern hemisphere. This is an expendable, suborbital sounding rocket that can take a payload of up to 2 kg to 120 km of altitude. It measures 6 meters , has a diameter of 0.15 meters and weighs 60 kg. Its only launch occurred on Great Mercury Island on November 30th 2009. It had two stages and the engine used polymer-based fuel with liquid Nitrous Oxide, producing a thrust of 6.7kN for up to 14.5s.
Height: 6 m
Diameter: 0.15 m
Stages: 2
Suborbital: 2 kg
First Launch: November 30th 2009
Launches: 1
Successes: 1
Partial Failures: 0
Failures: 0
Success Rate: 100%
Reusability: None
First Stage
Engine Number: 1
Thrust (Sea Level): 6.7kN
Burn Time: 14,5 s
Fuel: polymer-based fuel with liquid Nitrous Oxide
Second Stage Fuel: polymer-based fuel with liquid Nitrous Oxide
The Electron rocket is a 2 stage, expendable, orbital rocket manufactured and developed by Rocket Lab. It was first launched on May 25th 2017 and has been launched 2 times (having 1 failure). It uses 9 Rutherford engines on an octaweb layout that produce 162 kN (36,000 lbf) at sea level and uses RP-1 (kerosene) and LOX (liquid oxygen). The Rutherford engine uses pumps that are uniquely powered by electric motors rather than a gas generator. The engine is also fabricated largely by 3D printing, via electron beam melting. The second stage uses 1 Rutherford engine adapted for the vacuum of space that produces 22 kN (4,900 lbf). It also uses RP-1 (kerosene) and LOX (liquid oxygen). There is an optional third stage that uses 1 Curie engine that produces 0.12 kN (27 lbf). Most of the body of the rocket uses a carbon composite material that reduces the weight. It costs 6 million US$ per launch.
Height: 17 m
Diameter: 1.2 m
Stages: 2 (Optional 3)
SSO: 150–225 kg
First Launch: 25 May 2017
Launches: 13
Successes: 11
Partial Failures: 0
Failures: 2
Success Rate: 84.6%
Launch Cost: 6 Million USD
Reusability: None
First Stage
Engine: Rutherford
Engine Number: 9
Thrust (Sea Level): 162 kN (36,000 lbf)
Fuel: RP-1 (kerosene) and LOX (liquid oxygen)
Second Stage
Engine: Rutherford Vacuum
Engine Number: 1
Average Thrust (vacuum): 22 kN (4,900 lbf)
Fuel: RP-1 (kerosene) and LOX (liquid oxygen)
Third Stage
Engine: Curie
Engine Number: 1
Thrust: 0.12 kN (27 lbf)
Rutherford: This is a family of engines designed in New Zealand and manufactured in the US by Rocket Lab. They use RP-1 (kerosene) and LOX (liquid oxygen) and use a special electric-pump feed cycle. They are used on the Electron rocket. Both the sea level and vacuum optimised version produce 24 kN (5,400 lbf) of thrust. They are also fabricated largely by 3D printing, via electron beam melting.
Curie: The Curie engine is developed and manufactured by Rocket Lab and is in use on the optional third stage of the Electron rocket. It uses a "green" monopropellant and produces 120 N (27 lbf).
