Rocket Lab Electron Baby Come Back (Rideshare)
Electron
Status
Success
Date
18 JUL 2023
01:27
Launch Provider
Rocket Lab
Launch Pad
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Mission Overview
The "Baby Come Back" mission includes NASA's Starling project, which consists of four CubeSats designed to test technologies for future swarm missions. Telesat contributes the LEO 3 demonstration satellite, ensuring continuity for customers and ecosystem vendor testing. Additionally, two 3U satellites carrying GNSS-RO payloads from SpinGlobal will replenish their constellation of over 100 multipurpose satellites.
Rocket
Electron
Mission Type
Dedicated Rideshare
Orbit
Low Earth Orbit
Stages
3
Livestream
Rocket Details
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
Launch Mass
13 T
Thrust
162 kN
