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. Electron currently launches from only  Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand however they are currently looking into developing a facility in the US.

Rocket Lab Ltd

<p><span style="color: rgb(245, 245, 245)">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.</span></p>

Rutherford

Rutherford Vacuum

Electron

Third and fourth operational (TROPICS-04 & TROPICS-05) satellites for NASA's Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation Structure and Storm Intensity with a Constellation of SmallSats (TROPICS) mission.

The CubeSats are designed to provide rapid-refresh microwave measurements that can be used to determine temperature, pressure, and humidity inside hurricanes as they form and evolve.

TROPICS-2

Low Earth Orbit

Electron | TROPICS-2

Wallops Island, Virginia, USA

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C)

Current date is a placeholder or rough estimation based on unreliable or interpreted sources.

To Be Determined

Last two operational (TROPICS-06 & TROPICS-07) satellites for NASA's Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation Structure and Storm Intensity with a Constellation of SmallSats (TROPICS) mission.

The CubeSats are designed to provide rapid-refresh microwave measurements that can be used to determine temperature, pressure, and humidity inside hurricanes as they form and evolve.

TROPICS-3

Electron | TROPICS-3

Gulf of Mexico

Ocean

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., better known as SpaceX is an American aerospace company providing cheap and reliable launch services as well as ferrying crew and cargo to and from the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew and Commercial Resupply Services program.

SpaceX

Starship is a fully reusable two-stage super heavy-lift launch vehicle being developed by SpaceX.

Raptor 2 Vacuum 

Raptor 2

Starship

Maiden flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. The booster will separate 170 seconds into flight and return to land approximately 32 km off the shore in the Gulf of Mexico. The second stage will achieve orbit until performing a powered, targeted splashdown approximately 100 km off the northwest coast of Kauai (Hawaii).

Orbital Flight Test

Starship | Orbital Flight Test

SpaceX Space Launch Facility, TX, USA

Orbital Launch Mount A

Ship 24

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 2-4

The Falcon Heavy is a variant of the Falcon 9 full thrust launch vehicle and consists of a standard Falcon 9 rocket core, with two additional boosters derived from the Falcon 9 first stage.

Merlin 1D

Merlin 1D Vacuum

Falcon Heavy

Psyche is a NASA interplanetary mission to visit the main belt asteroid of the same name, 16 Psyche. Spacecraft will take 4 years and one Mars flyby to reach the asteroid, which is of particular interest due to being comprised mostly of iron and nickel. Psyche is theorized to be a remnant of an early planet's core, and may offer insights into how solar system formed and evolved. The mission is led by Arizona State University, with NASA JPL being responsible for mission management and operations. This launch also includes a secondary payload: Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE), which will study the Martian atmosphere.

Psyche & EscaPADE

Heliocentric N/A

Falcon Heavy | Psyche

Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Launch Complex 39A

Rocket Factory Augsburg

Helix

Helix(vac)

RFA One

First flight of the RFA One launch vehicle.

Maiden Flight

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

RFA One | Maiden Flight

SaxaVord Spaceport

Launch Pad Fredo

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA have many launch facilities but most are inactive. The most commonly used pad will be LC-39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Space Launch System (SLS) is an American Space Shuttle-derived heavy expendable launch vehicle. It is part of NASA's deep space exploration plans including as the main launch vehicle of the Artemis program. SLS follows the cancellation of the Constellation program, and is to replace the retired Space Shuttle.

Upcoming Launches

FEATURED LAUNCHES

TBD

ORBITAL FLIGHT TEST

SPACEX

STARSHIP

Orbital Launch Mount A, SpaceX Space Launch Facility, TX, USA

TBD

PSYCHE

SPACEX

FALCON HEAVY

Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

TBD

MAIDEN FLIGHT

RFA

RFA ONE

Launch Pad Fredo, SaxaVord Spaceport

TBD

ARTEMIS II

NASA

SLS BLOCK 1

Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

March 2023

April 2023

March

April

May

TBD

TROPICS-2

ROCKET LAB LTD

ELECTRON

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C), Wallops Island, Virginia, USA

TBD

TROPICS-3

ROCKET LAB LTD

ELECTRON

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C), Wallops Island, Virginia, USA

Legend