Rocket Lab Electron Running Out of Toes (BlackSky 8-9)
Electron
Status
Failure
Date
15 MAY 2021
11:11
Launch Provider
Rocket Lab
Launch Pad
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Mission Overview
This was the 20th launch of Electron rocket. It carried two Earth imaging microsatellites for BlackSky's constellation which were lost due to a launcher failure after second stage ignition.
Rocket
Electron
Mission Type
Earth Science
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
