99-644: Rocket Lab USA, Inc. is a publicly traded aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider . Its Electron orbital rockets launches small satellites , and has launched 53 times as of 2024. A sub-orbital Electron variant called HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) serves other needs. The company also supplies satellite components including star trackers , reaction wheels , solar cells and arrays , satellite radios , separation systems, as well as flight and ground software. The expendable Electron rocket first launched in May 2017. In August 2020,
198-534: A reaction control system (RCS) to orient the booster. After stage separation, the first stage using the new hardware installed flipped 180° to prepare for reentry. Throughout the reentry the stage was guided though the atmosphere such that it has the right orientation and angle of attack for the base heat shield to protect the booster from destruction using RCS and onboard computers. The booster successfully survived its guided re-entry despite having no deceleration hardware onboard and destructively splashed down into
297-456: A synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite into Earth orbit. On September 19, 2023, the Electron failed its mission to deliver a Capella Space synthetic-aperture radar imaging satellite when the rocket's second stage failed shortly after separation. Electron successfully returned to flight on December 14 with the launch of a Japanese radar imaging satellite, which marked a record 10th flight for
396-448: A 500 km (310 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit , suitable for CubeSats and other small payloads . In October 2018, Rocket Lab opened a factory large enough to produce more than 50 rockets per year according to the company. Customers may choose to encapsulate their spacecraft in payload fairings provided by the company, which can be easily attached to the rocket shortly before launch. The starting price for delivering payloads to orbit
495-589: A Space Structures Complex in Middle River, Maryland , deliver a comprehensive suite of advanced composite products for the space industry and to further vertically integrate supply for the company's internal needs across launch and space systems. The site will also play a role in the development and long-term supply of carbon composite structures for Neutron. Through the acquisition of SolAero, Rocket Lab also has facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico . Through
594-474: A bird's-eye view, much like drones. Upon launching, the rocket with its 5 megapixel -camera would reach an altitude of 2,500 feet (760 m) within 20 seconds. In October 2024, Rocket Lab was awarded a NASA contract from Matthew McCormick to explore new concepts for a sample return from the surface of Mars. In October 2018, the company revealed their new manufacturing facility in Auckland , New Zealand. It
693-440: A company they perceive as possibly lacking liquidity. For example, if all shareholders were to simultaneously try to sell their shares in the open market, this would immediately create downward pressure on the price for which the share is traded unless there were an equal number of buyers willing to purchase the security at the price the sellers demand. So, sellers would have to either reduce their price or choose not to sell. Thus,
792-429: A derivative spacecraft of the kick stage, Photon , which is intended for use on lunar and interplanetary missions. Photon will be capable of delivering small payloads of up to 30 kg (66 lb) into lunar orbit. The Electron payload Fairing is 2.5 m (8 feet and 2.4 inches) in length with a 1.2 m (3 feet and 11.2 inches) diameter and a total mass of 44 kg (97 lbm). Manufacturing the carbon composite components of
891-507: A flight named "Still Testing", launched, reached orbit and deployed three CubeSats for customers Planet Labs and Spire Global . The rocket also carried a satellite payload called Humanity Star , a 1 m-wide (3.3 ft) carbon fiber geodesic sphere made of 65 panels that reflect the Sun's light. Humanity Star re-entered Earth's atmosphere and burned up in March 2018. On 11 November 2018,
990-453: A high vacuum by an electron beam. By March 2016, the 5,000 pounds-force (22 kN) second-stage Rutherford engine had completed firing tests. The first test flight took place on 25 May 2017 from Māhia Peninsula on New Zealand's North Island . After reaching an altitude of about 224 kilometres (139 mi), the rocket was performing nominally, but telemetry was lost and flight control destroyed it. On 21 January 2018, their second rocket, on
1089-401: A long period of time after maturity into a profitable company. However, from 1997 to 2012, the number of corporations publicly traded on US stock exchanges dropped 45%. According to one observer ( Gerald F. Davis ), "public corporations have become less concentrated, less integrated, less interconnected at the top, shorter lived, less remunerative for average investors, and less prevalent since
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#17327870839161188-593: A pathfinder for the Lunar Gateway , a Moon-orbiting outpost that is part of NASA’s Artemis program , CAPSTONE will help reduce risk for future spacecraft by validating innovative navigation technologies and verifying the dynamics of this halo-shaped orbit. Originally scheduled to launch from Virginia, the launch location was adjusted to Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand in August 2021 due to delays in certifying
1287-430: A payload capacity of 150–225 kg (331–496 lb) to a 500 km (310 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit . In pursuit of reusability, Rocket Lab has made changes to Electron. Flight 6 and 7 ("That's a Funny Looking Cactus" and "Make it Rain") had instruments on the first stage needed to gather data to help with the reflight program. Flight 8 ("Look Ma No Hands") had Brutus, an instrument that collected data from
1386-417: A payload capacity of 700 kg (1,500 lb), double that of Electron. It can deploy payloads from 80 km (50 mi) altitude and higher. In 2024, two HASTE launches were planned. As of November 2023 Rocket Lab had contracted for at least six HASTE missions. The company announced in March 2021 that it was developing a new medium-lift two-stage human-rated launch vehicle called Neutron . Neutron
1485-424: A previous flight. Rocket Lab, while investigating reusability, decided that they will not pursue propulsive recovery like SpaceX . Instead they will use the atmosphere to slow down the booster in what is known as "aerothermal decelerator" technology. The exact methods used are proprietary but may include keeping proper orientation when reentering the atmosphere and other technologies. The Electron initially had
1584-520: A public company. In the United Kingdom , it is usually a public limited company (plc). In France , it is a société anonyme (SA). In Germany , it is an Aktiengesellschaft (AG). While the general idea of a public company may be similar, differences are meaningful and are at the core of international law disputes with regard to industry and trade. Usually, the securities of a publicly traded company are owned by many investors while
1683-568: A question and answer session with space and rocket communicator Scott Manley , Beck indicated a preference to avoid fixed assets such as landing barges. This indicated that design work had proceeded on the basis that the Neutron would return for landing rather than landing downrange. Neutron launches are intended to take place from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on the eastern coast of Virginia. Rocket Lab
1782-553: A separate entity, its former shareholders receiving compensation in the form of either cash, shares in the purchasing company or a combination of both. When the compensation is primarily shares then the deal is often considered a merger . Subsidiaries and joint ventures can also be created de novo . That often happens in the financial sector. Subsidiaries and joint ventures of publicly traded companies are not generally considered to be privately held companies (even though they themselves are not publicly traded) and are generally subject to
1881-415: A successful touchdown in the ocean, the stage would be moved onto a ship for refurbishment and reflight. Rocket Lab has not released information on aerodynamic decelerator that would be required to slow down the booster after atmospheric reentry. Late phases of Electron reuse would involve using a parafoil and mid-air retrieval by a helicopter. After a successful mid-air retrieval the helicopter would bring
1980-596: A total of 52 successes and 4 failures, Including 2 suborbital flight from the HASTE program. The initial test flight, called "It's a Test", failed due to a glitch in communication equipment on the ground, but the follow-up missions, called "Still Testing", "It's Business Time" and "This One's For Pickering", delivered multiple small payloads to low Earth orbit. In August 2019, a mission named "Look Ma, No Hands" successfully delivered four satellites to orbit, and in October 2019,
2079-593: A usable diameter of 1.07 m (3,51 ft) while an expanded fairing has a diameter of 1.56 m (5.12 ft). The StriX-α mission for Synspective in December 2020 used an extended fairing. Rocket Lab developed their own AFTS for launches from New Zealand from Dec 2019, but for the first launch from US they used the NASA Autonomous Flight Termination Unit . Electron is designed to launch a 200–300 kg (440–660 lb) payload to
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#17327870839162178-433: A wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. Electron services the commercial small satellite launch market. It's the third most launched small-lift launch vehicle in history. Its Rutherford engines are the first electric-pump-fed engine to power an orbital-class rocket. Electron is often flown with a kickstage or Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft. Although the rocket was designed to be expendable , Rocket Lab has recovered
2277-476: Is a company whose ownership is organized via shares of stock which are intended to be freely traded on a stock exchange or in over-the-counter markets. A public (publicly traded) company can be listed on a stock exchange ( listed company ), which facilitates the trade of shares, or not ( unlisted public company ). In some jurisdictions, public companies over a certain size must be listed on an exchange. In most cases, public companies are private enterprises in
2376-497: Is a satellite bus based on Rocket Lab's Electron kick stage. It moves satellites into their appropriate orbits once boosted by rockets such as Electron. It is customizable for uses including LEO payload hosting, lunar flybys, and interplanetary missions. Photon uses chemical propulsion for orbit adjustments. It can use a variety of engines, such as the Curie and HyperCurie engines, as well as engines from third-party sources, such as
2475-462: Is about US$ 7.5 million per launch, or US$ 25,000 per kg, which offers the only dedicated service at this price point. Moon Express contracted Rocket Lab to launch lunar landers (multiple launches contracted, some planned for Moon Express operations after GLXP) on an Electron to compete for the Google Lunar X Prize (GLXP). None of the contenders met the prize deadline, and the competition
2574-412: Is capable of delivering payloads of 150 kg to a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit . The projected cost is less than US$ 5 million per launch. The Rutherford engine uses pumps driven by battery-powered electric motors rather than a gas generator , expander , or preburner . The engine is fabricated largely by 3D printing , using electron beam melting , whereby layers of metal powder are melted in
2673-649: Is especially prevalent in such countries as the United Kingdom and the United States. In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission requires firms whose stock is traded publicly to report their major shareholders each year. The reports identify all institutional shareholders (primarily firms that own stock in other companies), all company officials who own shares in their firm, and all individuals or institutions owning more than 5% of
2772-470: Is expected to be 40 m (130 ft) tall with a 4.5 m-diameter (15 ft) fairing . It will have 13-and-15-short-ton (12 and 14 t) capacities. Rocket Lab said they aim to make the first stage of the vehicle reusable , with landings planned on a floating landing platform downrange in the ocean. This method is similar to how SpaceX recovers the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. During
2871-454: Is expected to modify the existing launch pad infrastructure at Launch Pad 0A (LP-0A) . In March 2022, Rocket Lab announced that Neutron will be manufactured at a facility adjacent to MARS Launch Complex 2. Launch Complex 2 is currently being used for Electron launches. Rocket Lab began to break ground for this facility on 11 April 2022. As of March 2021, the company is planning for the first launch no earlier than mid-2025. In mid-2024,
2970-544: Is intended for the production of propellant tanks and stage builds , and is in charge of the overall integration of launch vehicles at Launch Complex 1 . The company's headquarters in Long Beach, California, produces their Rutherford engines and avionics . The company's primary manufacturing facility is located in Huntington Beach, where rocket components are manufactured and assembled before traveling to
3069-408: Is privately held can buy out the shareholders of a public company, taking the company off the public markets. That is typically done through a leveraged buyout and occurs when the buyers believe the securities have been undervalued by investors. In some cases, public companies that are in severe financial distress may also approach a private company or companies to take over ownership and management of
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3168-478: Is traded on a major stock exchange, it is not uncommon when shares are traded over-the-counter (OTC). Since individual buyers and sellers need to incorporate news about the company into their purchasing decisions, a security with an imbalance of buyers or sellers may not feel the full effect of recent news. Rocket Lab Electron Electron is a two-stage, partially reusable orbital launch vehicle developed by Rocket Lab , an American aerospace company with
3267-514: Is using the rocket to launch test vehicles under the MACH-TB program. The first launch, DYNAMO-A, occurred on June 18, 2023 from Launch Complex-2 (LP-0C) in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport . The rocket is launched from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on Māhia Peninsula , New Zealand. The launch pad's remote and sparsely populated location is intended to enable a high frequency of launches. The rocket and launch pad were both privately funded,
3366-404: Is when a company has little or no trading activity and the market price is simply the price at which the most recent trade took place, which could be days or weeks ago. This occurs when there are no buyers willing to purchase the securities at the price being offered by the sellers and there are no sellers willing to sell at the price the buyers are willing to pay. While this is rare when the company
3465-522: The Nasdaq stock exchange on 25 August 2021 after merging with SPAC Vector Acquisition, at a $ 4.8 billion valuation. The transaction added $ 777 million in gross cash. At the time Rocket Lab had over 500 employees and it had successfully launched 105 satellites into orbit. Rocket Lab's launch business booked revenues of $ 13.5 million in 2018, $ 48 million in 2019 and an estimated $ 33 million in 2020. Rocket Lab spent somewhere between $ 250 million to $ 300 million of
3564-623: The Operationally Responsive Space Office (ORS) to study a low cost space launcher to place CubeSats into orbit. The agreement with NASA enabled the company to contract for limited NASA resources such as personnel, facilities, and equipment for commercial launch efforts. Around 2013, the company moved to the United States, and established its headquarters in Huntington Beach , California. The move coincided with funding from American sources, and
3663-454: The first stage of Electron, although plans had started internally from late 2018. Electron was not originally designed to be a reusable launch vehicle as it is a small-lift launch vehicle but was pursued due to increased understanding of Electron's performance based on analysis of previous flights through sensors on the vehicle. In addition, reusability was pursued to meet launch demands. To counteract decreased payload capacity caused by
3762-476: The private sector, and "public" emphasizes their reporting and trading on the public markets. Public companies are formed within the legal systems of particular states and so have associations and formal designations, which are distinct and separate in the polity in which they reside. In the United States , for example, a public company is usually a type of corporation though a corporation need not be
3861-451: The 1934 Act are generally deemed public companies. A public company possess some advantages over privately held businesses. Many stock exchanges require that publicly traded companies have their accounts regularly audited by outside auditors and then publish the accounts to their shareholders. Besides the cost, that may make useful information available to competitors. Various other annual and quarterly reports are also required by law. In
3960-413: The Electron to a ship that would bring the stage to the launch site for refurbishment and launch. Later, Rocket Lab abandoned the plan to catch the stage with a helicopter, and will use ocean landing instead. One recovered Rutherford engine passed five full-duration hot fire tests and is declared ready to fly again. Rocket Lab's 40th Electron mission successfully reused a refurbished Rutherford engine from
4059-579: The NASA autonomous flight termination system planned to fly on Electron missions from Launch Complex 2 . The CAPSTONE mission was successfully launched on Electron in June 2022 and on July 4th Photon's HyperCurie engine completed the final Translunar Injection Burn, successfully releasing the CAPSTONE spacecraft on a trajectory to lunar orbit. CAPSTONE completed its primary six-month mission and as of July 2023
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4158-550: The New Zealand launch site . The manufacturing process begins with the production of the Electron rocket's first stage, which is built using carbon composite . The material is designed to be strong and lightweight. Once the first stage is complete, it is transported to the New Zealand launch site, where the second stage and other components are added. The second stage is powered by a single Rutherford engine. The engine uses an electric pump-fed propulsion system . Manufacturing
4257-658: The United States, called Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 . Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) is expected to serve government customers. The first launch from LC-2 happened on 24 January 2023. An Electron rocket successfully orbited 3 satellites. Additionally, the UK Space Agency is giving Highlands and Islands Enterprise the opportunity to develop an Electron launch pad on the A' Mhòine Peninsula in Sutherland , Scotland. The location would be named Sutherland spaceport . The Electron has flown 56 times since May 2017, with
4356-492: The United States, the Sarbanes–Oxley Act imposes additional requirements. The requirement for audited books is not imposed by the exchange known as OTC Pink. The shares may be maliciously held by outside shareholders and the original founders or owners may lose benefits and control. The principal–agent problem , or the agency problem is a key weakness of public companies. The separation of a company's ownership and control
4455-757: The acquisition of ASI, the company has facilities in Littleton, Colorado . Through the acquisition of Planetary Systems Corporation, the company has facilities in Maryland, and in Toronto, Canada through the acquisition of Sinclair Interplanetary. In September 2021, Rocket Lab announced it was expanding production of reaction wheels with a new production line in Auckland to support production of up to 2,000 reaction wheels per year for an undisclosed mega-constellation customer. Public company A public company
4554-401: The added mass of recovery hardware, performance improvements to Electrons are expected. Early phases of recovery included data gathering and surviving atmospheric reentry also known as "The Wall". The next phase will require a successful deployment of an aerodynamic decelerator or ballute to slow the booster followed by the deployment of parafoil concluded by a touchdown in the ocean. After
4653-498: The carbon composite components of the main flight structure has traditionally required 400 hours, involving extensive hand labor. In late 2019, Rocket Lab brought a new robotic manufacturing capability online to produce Electron's composite parts in 12 hours. The robot was named " Rosie the Robot ", after The Jetsons character. The process can make all the carbon fiber structures as well as handle cutting, drilling, and sanding such that
4752-526: The cash gained from going public to develop Neutron. Rocket Lab aimed to launch Neutron by 2025. As of August 2021, the company intended to build a new factory in the United States to build the rockets as well as launch infrastructure for Neutron at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Wallops Island , Virginia. In October 2021, the company acquired Advanced Solutions, Inc (ASI), a Colorado -based spacecraft flight software company. In November 2021,
4851-401: The company acquired Planetary Systems Corporation (PSC), a manufacturer of satellite separation systems for $ 81.4 million. In January 2022, the company acquired SolAero, a supplier of space solar power products. On 3 May 2022, in the "There And Back Again" mission, the company launched its Electron rocket from New Zealand and attempted to recover it for the first time. It was able to capture
4950-469: The company completed assembly on the first Archimedes engine, to undergo testing at Stennis Space Center , as well as some assembly on Neutron’s fairings. The first and only launch of the Ātea ( Māori for "space") sub-orbital sounding rocket occurred in late 2009. The 6 m-long (20 ft) rocket, weighing approximately 60 kg (130 lb), was designed to carry a 2 kg (4.4 lb) payload to an altitude of around 120 km (75 mi). It
5049-452: The company entered the engine test phase in Neutron’s development process. In November 2024, news reports said the company threatened an academic in New Zealand with a defamation lawsuit for comments that Rocket Lab was involved with US military control over nuclear weapons. Electron is a two-stage launch vehicle that uses Rocket Lab's Rutherford liquid engines on both stages. The vehicle
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#17327870839165148-479: The company had approximately 2,000 full-time permanent employees globally. Approximately 700 of these employees were based in New Zealand with the remainder in the United States. In August 2021, the company went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange through a SPAC merger. The company was founded in June 2006 by Peter Beck in New Zealand , after a trip to the United States . During the trip, Beck realized
5247-573: The company launched its first Photon satellite. The company built and operates satellites for the Space Development Agency , part of the United States Space Force . In May 2022, the company attempted to recover a returning Electron booster with a helicopter. In 2024, the company announced that a booster recovered on an earlier launch would be reused. Rocket Lab was founded in New Zealand in 2006. By 2009,
5346-403: The company with $ 790 million in working capital to support the development of a medium-lift two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle called Neutron , aiming for the mega-constellation satellite deployment market. Neutron was planned to be partially reusable with the booster stage performing a Return To Launch Site (RTLS) landing, to be refurbished and relaunched. The company began trading on
5445-432: The company. One way of doing so would be to make a rights issue designed to enable the new investor to acquire a supermajority . With a supermajority, the company could then be relisted, or privatized. Alternatively, a publicly traded company may be purchased by one or more other publicly traded companies, with the target company becoming either a subsidiary or joint venture of the purchaser(s), or ceasing to exist as
5544-435: The effort to study the potential recovery of an Electron first stage in August 2019, aiming to use a parachute and mid-air retrieval . In December 2019, they flight tested the reentry technology, a Rocket Lab proprietary aerothermal decelerator , on Electron flight number 10, and were able to decelerate the rocket and successfully bring it through the space to lower atmosphere transition. In November 2022, Rocket Lab cut
5643-592: The falling rocket booster in mid-air, a historic first. Beck later said that the booster was hanging improperly, so it was allowed to parachute into the water where it was extracted by a ship. In August 2022, the company revealed plans to become the first private company to reach Venus . The company is building a small probe, called the Venus Life Finder (VLF), which is designed to plunge through Venus's upper atmosphere for roughly five minutes between 29 mi (47 km) and 37 mi (60 km) above
5742-444: The firm's stock. For many years, newly-created companies were privately held but held initial public offering to become publicly traded company or to be acquired by another company if they became larger and more profitable or had promising prospects. More infrequently, some companies such as the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs and the logistics services provider United Parcel Service (UPS) chose to remain privately held for
5841-521: The first commercial launch (third launch overall) took off from Māhia Peninsula carrying satellites for Spire Global , GeoOptics, a CubeSat built by high school students, and a prototype of a dragsail. On 4 July 2020, an issue during the second-stage burn of flight 13, named "Pics or It Didn't Happen", caused Electron to fail to get into orbit and its payloads were lost. On 19 November 2020, a launch mission named "Return to Sender" successfully deployed its payload of 30 small satellites . First stage recovery
5940-434: The first stage and one vacuum-optimized version on the second stage. The first stage engines deliver 162 kN (36,000 lb f ) of thrust and the second stage delivers 22 kN (4,900 lb f ) of thrust. Almost all of the engines' parts are 3D printed to save time and money in the manufacturing process. Rocket Lab has also developed an optional third stage, known as the "kick stage", designed to circularize
6039-455: The first stage to study reentry and was designed to be able to survive splashdown in the ocean. Flight 10 ("Running out of Fingers") had a block update to the first stage of the Electron to allow the first guided reentry of the first stage booster. Updates included additional hardware for guidance and navigation; onboard flight computers; and S-Band telemetry to both gather and livestream data gathered during reentry. The first stage also had
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#17327870839166138-435: The first stage twice and is working towards the capability of reusing the booster. The Flight 26 (F26) booster has featured the first helicopter catch recovery attempt. Rocket Lab has, however, abandoned the idea of catching Electron. In December 2016, Electron completed flight qualification . The first rocket was launched on 25 May 2017, reaching space but not achieving orbit due to a glitch in communication equipment on
6237-484: The first time all parts of an orbital launch operation were entirely run by the private sector (other private spaceflight companies lease launch facilities from government agencies or only launch suborbital rockets ). In October 2018, Rocket Lab selected Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at the Wallops Flight Facility , Virginia , as its future secondary launch site in
6336-482: The first to recover the first stage booster, with a splashdown into the Pacific Ocean . The rocket also lofted thirty payloads into Sun-synchronous orbit , including a titanium mass simulator in the shape of the garden gnome "Gnome Chompski" from the video game Half-Life 2 . In August 2020, Rocket Lab announced increased payload of Electron to 225–300 kg (496–661 lb). The payload capacity increase
6435-477: The ground. During its second flight on 21 January 2018, Electron reached orbit and deployed three CubeSats . The first commercial launch of Electron, and the third launch overall, occurred on 11 November 2018. Since then, Electron has launched successfully 46 times, with an additional 4 failures, for a grand total of 50 launches. Electron uses two stages with the same diameter (1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)) filled with RP-1 / LOX propellant. The main body of
6534-435: The main flight structure has traditionally required 400 hours, with extensive hand labor in the process. In late 2019, Rocket Lab brought a new robotic manufacturing capability online to produce all composite parts for an Electron in just 12 hours. The robot was nicknamed "Rosie the Robot", after The Jetsons character. The process can make all the carbon fiber structures as well as handle cutting, drilling, and sanding such that
6633-425: The number of trades in a given period of time, commonly referred to as the "volume" is important when determining how well a company's market capitalization reflects true fair market value of the company as a whole. The higher the volume, the more the fair market value of the company is likely to be reflected by its market capitalization. Another example of the impact of volume on the accuracy of market capitalization
6732-511: The ocean at 900 km/h (250 m/s; 560 mph) as planned if reentry was successful. Rocket Lab had no plans to recover the stage and instead wanted to demonstrate the ability to successfully reenter. Flight 11 ("Birds of a Feather") demonstrated similar success. No further atmospheric reentry tests similar to flight 10 and 11 are expected. Following Flight 11 ("Birds of a Feather"), in mid-February 2020, low altitude tests were done to test parachutes. In April 2020, Rocket Lab shared
6831-608: The one powering the EscaPADE mission . Photon first launched in August 2020 on Rocket Lab's I Can't Believe It's Not Optical mission, where it served as a pathfinder. It has since flown three times. It flew the CAPSTONE mission. Photon communicates on the S-band . Depending on the orbital inclination (37° to Sun-synchronous orbit ), it is expected to have a payload capacity of 170 kg (370 lb). The interplanetary version
6930-441: The orbits of its satellite payloads. The stage also puts satellites into a more accurate orbit in less time. The Electron kick stage is equipped with a single Curie engine that is capable of performing multiple burns, uses an unspecified "green" bipropellant , and is 3D printed. It was first used during Electron's second flight. The kick stage can transport up to 150 kg (330 lb) of payload. Rocket Lab has also developed
7029-500: The parts are ready for final assembly. The company objective as of November 2019 is to reduce the overall Electron manufacturing cycle to just seven days. Rutherford engine production makes extensive use of additive manufacturing and has since the earliest flights of Electron. This allows the capability to scale production in a relatively straightforward manner by increasing the number and capability of 3D printers. On 6 August 2019, Rocket Lab announced recovery and reflight plans for
7128-471: The parts are ready for final assembly. The company objective as of November 2019 was to reduce the overall Electron manufacturing cycle to seven days. Rutherford engine production uses additive manufacturing . In October 2023, Rocket Lab announced it had acquired carbon composite manufacturing facilities, equipment and more than 50 team members from SailGP Technologies in Warkworth, New Zealand . SailGP
7227-484: The payload being made by Sinclair Interplanetary. In March 2021, the company announced that it was planning to go public through an initial public offering (IPO) of stock in the second quarter of 2021. The company planned to accomplish the IPO through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) called Vector Acquisition Corporation (VACQ). The merger planned to value the company at US$ 4.1 billion and provide
7326-589: The planets' surface, searching for organic compounds. As of March 2023, the target launch date aboard the Electron rocket was January 2025. In October 2023, Rocket Lab officially opened its engine development facility in Long Beach to support the development of the Archimedes engine. The facility, including production assets such as machinery and equipment, had been acquired in May 2023 out of Virgin Orbit 's bankruptcy proceedings. In January 2024, Rocket Lab became
7425-665: The possibility and potential for a low-cost, small rocket. While contacting potential investors, he met Mark Rocket, who later became a seed investor and was co-director from 2007 to 2011. Other investors to the company included Stephen Tindall , Vinod Khosla , and the New Zealand Government . The company became the first private company in the Southern Hemisphere to reach space after launching its Ātea-1 sounding rocket in November 2009. The payload
7524-497: The price per share. For example, a company with two million shares outstanding and a price per share of US$ 40 has a market capitalization of US$ 80 million. However, a company's market capitalization should not be confused with the fair market value of the company as a whole since the price per share are influenced by other factors such as the volume of shares traded. Low trading volume can cause artificially low prices for securities, due to investors being apprehensive of investing in
7623-413: The prime contractor for a $ 515M USSF military satellite project, the company's largest contract to date. In April 2024, the company announced it would begin selling carbon composite products to customers. As of 2024, the company was developing the bigger Neutron reusable unibody rocket ; multiple spacecraft buses, and rocket engines : Rutherford , Curie , HyperCurie , and Archimedes . In mid 2024,
7722-574: The ribbon on an engine test facility for the Archimedes engine at NASA's Stennis Space Center . In March 2020, the company announced that it had acquired Sinclair Interplanetary, a Canadian manufacturer of components for small satellites. Rocket Lab said that it would use Sinclair technology on its Photon line of small satellite buses , and that it would help Sinclair increase production of small satellite components for sale to other firms. Thereafter, Rocket Lab launched missions with some or all of
7821-507: The rocket in 2023. Two attempts have been made to recover an Electron booster by helicopter. In addition, six attempts have been made at soft water recovery . Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) is a suborbital testbed launch vehicle derived from the Electron orbital rocket. HASTE provides flight test opportunities for hypersonic and suborbital system technology development. It successfully launched its first mission "Scout's Arrow" on 18 June 2023, for Leidos . HASTE has
7920-477: The rocket is constructed using a lightweight carbon composite material. Both stages use the Rutherford rocket engine , the first electric-pump-fed engine to power an orbital rocket. The electric pumps are powered by lithium-polymer batteries. The second stage uses three batteries which are "hot swapped", two of the batteries are jettisoned once depleted to shed mass. There are nine Rutherford engines on
8019-446: The same reporting requirements as publicly traded companies. Finally, shares in subsidiaries and joint ventures can be (re)-offered to the public at any time. Firms that are sold in this manner are called spin-outs . Most industrialized jurisdictions have enacted laws and regulations that detail the steps that prospective owners (public or private) must undertake if they wish to take over a publicly traded corporation. That often entails
8118-502: The shares of a privately held company are owned by relatively few shareholders. A company with many shareholders is not necessarily a publicly traded company. Conversely, a publicly traded company typically (but not necessarily) has many shareholders. In the United States, companies with over 500 shareholders in some instances are required to report under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ; companies that report under
8217-401: The successful demonstration of mid-air retrieval done in March 2020. An Electron test article was dropped by a helicopter and deployed its parachutes. A helicopter carrying a long-boom snagged a drogue line from the parachute at 1,500 m (4,900 ft) demonstrating a successful retrieval. Following the catch the test article was brought back to land. Flight 16 ("Return to Sender"), was
8316-644: The successful launch of Ātea-1 made the organization the first private company in the Southern Hemisphere to reach space . The company established its headquarters in California in 2013. Rocket Lab acquired four companies, including Sinclair Interplanetary in April 2020, Advanced Solutions in December 2021, SolAero Holdings in January 2022, and Planetary Systems in December 2021. As of June 2024,
8415-428: The turn of the 21st century". Davis argues that technological changes such as the decline in price and increasing power, quality and flexibility of computer numerical control machines and newer digitally enabled tools such as 3D printing will lead to smaller and more local organization of production. In corporate privatization, more often called " going private ," a group of private investors or another company that
8514-409: The would-be buyer(s) making a formal offer for each share of the company to shareholders. The shares of a publicly traded company are often traded on a stock exchange . The value or "size" of a company is called its market capitalization , a term which is often shortened to "market cap". This is calculated as the number of shares outstanding (as opposed to authorized but not necessarily issued) times
8613-549: Was already a supplier to Rocket Lab, so when SailGP announced plans to move operations to the UK, Rocket Lab took over the facilities and employees to support a growing production rate for the Electron rocket and the rapid development of Neutron . In October 2023, Rocket Lab officially opened its Engine Development Center in Long Beach in the former Virgin Orbit factory, where the company now builds Rutherford and Archimedes engines. In November 2023, Rocket Lab announced plans to establish
8712-410: Was also successfully implemented. On 15 May 2021, the company launched "Running Out Of Toes" which successfully used the first stage recovery method like the one used on "Return to Sender". However, the rocket failed to place its payload of two BlackSky satellites into orbit after an issue occurred with the second stage. On 15 September 2022, Rocket Lab launched "The Owl Spreads Its Wings" mission, sending
8811-511: Was closed without a winner. For sometime after the closure of GLXP, the Moon Express Electron launches remained scheduled, but before February 2020, all the launches of Moon Express using Electron were canceled. In April 2023, Rocket Lab announced an Electron derivative vehicle named HASTE ( Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron ) capable of delivering 700 kg on a suborbital trajectory. Customers include Dynetics, who
8910-405: Was continuing an enhanced mission to deliver ongoing data in support of Artemis. In 2012, the company demonstrated a rocket propelled by a viscous liquid monopropellant (VLM) developed via DARPA and Office of Naval Research (NRL) work. The VLM was reported to be thixotropic , so that it behaves as a pseudo-solid until a shear force is applied, after which it flows like a liquid. The VLM density
9009-559: Was in part due to increased U.S. government involvement. The New Zealand company became a subsidiary of the American company. In 2020, Rocket Lab moved to Long Beach . The move was motivated by the need to accommodate the company's growing workforce and to be closer to suppliers and customers. The new facility includes a state-of-the-art production facility for manufacturing the company's Electron launch vehicle , as well as administrative offices and other support facilities. In 2013, funding
9108-612: Was intended to carry scientific payloads or possibly personal items. Ātea-1 , named Manu Karere or Bird Messenger by the local Māori iwi , was successfully launched from Great Mercury Island near Coromandel Peninsula on 30 November 2009 at 01:23 UTC (14:23 local time). The rocket was tracked by a GPS uplink to the Inmarsat-B satellite constellation. After the flight, Ātea-1 splashed down approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) downrange . The payload had no telemetry downlink , but carried instrumentation . The payload
9207-432: Was mainly due to battery advancements. The increased payload capacity allows offset of mass added by recovery technology. In addition, more payload mass could be flown on interplanetary missions and others when Electron is expended. Rocket Lab also announced several custom fairings, including an expanded fairing (1.2x standard), a normal expanded fairing, an extended fairing and a dual stack fairing. The standard fairing has
9306-416: Was not recovered as it was a dart of no value. The company advised that should it be encountered by vessels at sea, the payload should not be handled as it was " potentially hazardous " and contained delicate instruments . Performance characteristics were determined by the boost stage using downlink telemetry , and was recovered. This allowed Rocket Lab to move the entire team to the Electron rocket. Photon
9405-403: Was not recovered, and the launch was deemed unsuccessful. The payload was a ballistic instrumentation dart and its trajectory depended only on the boost phase . The launch took place off the coast of New Zealand, from the private island ( Great Mercury Island ) of Michael Fay , a New Zealand banker and Rocket Lab investor. In December 2010, the company was awarded a U.S. government contract from
9504-422: Was obtained from Khosla Ventures , and Callaghan Innovation (a Crown entity of New Zealand). Bessemer Venture Partners invested in 2014 and Lockheed Martin invested in 2015. Rocket Lab announced in March 2017 that it had raised an additional US$ 75 million in a Series D equity round led by Data Collective with participation by Promus Ventures and earlier investors. In May 2017, Callaghan Innovation funding
9603-434: Was reported to be comparable to solid-rocket propellant . The VLM reportedly required no special handling, was non-toxic, water-soluble, had low sensitivity to shock, a high ignition point, and was barely flammable in atmosphere. The company earned a US patent on the system. In 2011, Rocket Lab had a program called "Instant Eyes". The Instant Eyes unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was designed for military applications requiring
9702-476: Was reported to total NZ$ 15 million. In November 2018, the company reported raising a $ 150 million Series E round led by Future Fund . The first NASA mission, launched in 2018, was valued by the space agency at $ 6.9 million (with launch services, etc., included). In 2018, Rocket Lab began to develop reusable first stage technology, after previously stating publicly that they had no intention of attempting to recover and reuse their launch vehicles. They disclosed
9801-434: Was to have a 40 kg (88 lb) payload capacity. In February 2020, Rocket Lab was selected by NASA to launch the CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) on Electron and deploy it to lunar orbit from a Photon spacecraft bus . CAPSTONE is a microwave oven–sized CubeSat weighing 55 pounds and is the first spacecraft to test a unique, elliptical lunar orbit. As
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