Spacecraft
A family of advanced configurable spacecraft
for a range of mission profiles
SPACECRAFT design, build, integration, test, launcH & OPERATION
Our family of reliable spacecraft are designed to enable commercial missions as well as a broad range of civil, defense and intelligence missions, from single spacecraft to constellations. Our spacecraft leverage our deep vertical integration, incorporating in-house designed and manufactured satellite componentry, subsystems and software to drive reliable performance, cost-efficiency and rapid delivery timelines.
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Your mission, your way
Mission Design
We partner with our customers to tailor spacecraft solutions for their missions. Starting with reliable, flight-proven base platforms, we tailor each spacecraft to give our customers the performance they need while ensuring flexibility for mission-specific requirements. We work closely with our customers every step of the way to refine the design and pivot quickly to serve our customer’s ever evolving needs.
Spacecraft Components
Rocket Lab is vertically integrated, developing and manufacturing components, subsystems and software in-house to drive efficiency, accelerate production timelines, and deliver cost savings. Rocket Lab spacecraft incorporate flight proven star trackers, propulsion, reaction wheels, solar cells, panels and arrays, flight and ground software, radios, avionics, composite structures and tanks, and separation systems. Rocket Lab components and subsystems have flown successfully on 1,700 missions globally...and counting.
Assembly, Integration & Test
Our spacecraft are manufactured at Rocket Lab’s Spacecraft Production Complex in Long Beach, California. The complex is home to a 11,000 sq/ft state-of-the-art cleanroom equipped with an array of critical testing facilities for spacecraft-level test, including thermal vacuum, vibration, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) / electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Once tested and certified for flight, we ship the completed spacecraft to the launch site for integration onto the launch vehicle.
Launch
Choose from an integrated launch + spacecraft solution on Electron or Neutron, or select from a range of other launch providers globally. We have deep experience launching spacecraft on our own launch vehicles and integrating spacecraft with other providers. We work with our customers to determine the best launch solution for them and provide mission management services to secure necessary licenses, provide transport to the launch site, integrate the spacecraft with the rocket and manage launch logistics.
Mission Operations
Through our own ground stations, integration with a broad range of networks, and a partnership with KSAT, we have global ground station coverage enabling our customers to communicate, downlink, and process data from their satellites. Rocket Lab provides on-orbit management solutions from our satellite operations centers in Long Beach, California, Auckland, New Zealand, and Littleton, Colorado. We can also train our customers on how to operate their systems.
Rocket Lab Spacecraft
Our family of reliable spacecraft deliver affordability, performance, and configurability for a range of missions spanning LEO, MEO, GEO and interplanetary destinations.
Our spacecraft are highly customizable and entirely new platforms can be developed based on heritage hardware to meet our customers’ mission requirements.
Rocket Lab’s interplanetary spacecraft platform
A high delta-V spacecraft with large propellant tanks, deep space capable avionics, and ranging transponders. Explorer enables small spacecraft missions to planetary destinations like Mars and Venus, the Moon, highly eccentric Earth orbits, geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO), Earth-moon Lagrange points, Earth-sun Lagrange points, and near Earth objects (NEOs). Depending on the mission profile, Explorer can be launched on Electron, Neutron or other launch vehicles. Explorer gained flight heritage during the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon for NASA and forms the basis of the twin spacecraft Rocket Lab is developing for the ESCAPADE mission to Mars for NASA and the University of California, Berkeley.
Missions
Launched on Electron in 2022, the mission successfully achieved its objective to test and verify the calculated orbital stability of a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit around the Moon, the same orbit planned for Gateway.
Rocket Lab’s newest bus for high-power, long-life missions
Rocket Lab’s newest spacecraft bus is designed for a 12+ year orbital lifespan in LEO, delivers highpower and high radiation tolerance, incorporating redundancy in critical subsystems. This ~3 kW bus is ideal for high operational duty cycle telecommunications and remote sensing applications. Lightning can be launched on Neutron and other medium and heavy launch vehicles. Lightning is based on the same design as the custom spacecraft Rocket Lab developed for Globalstar and is the basis for the Company’s bus for the Space Development Agency.
Missions
Rocket Lab is leading the development of the spacecraft buses and will also deliver the Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC) for the program.
Rocket Lab’s highly maneuverable, responsive spacecraft designed to support large payloads and re-entry capability
A highly configurable medium delta-V platform designed to support payloads up to 120 kg and unique mission profiles, including re-entry missions for Varda Space Industries, and dynamic space operations. Depending on the mission profile, Pioneer can be launched on Electron, Neutron or other launch vehicles.
Missions
Pioneer provides power, communications, propulsion, and attitude control to Varda’s 120kg capsule that will produce pharmaceutical products in microgravity and return them to Earth. In addition to providing support during the in-space manufacturing phase of Varda’s mission, Pioneer places Varda’s hypersonic re-entry capsule (carrying finished pharmaceuticals on board) on a return trajectory to Earth.
The first Pioneer for Varda was successfully launched in June 2023 and was successfully returned to Earth in February 2024. Three follow up Pioneers in development currently for Varda and a 5th vehicle in development for another customer.
Rocket Lab’s primary integrated launch + spacecraft solution
The original Rocket Lab spacecraft, Photon is our integrated launch-plus-spacecraft solution. Photon is a modified Electron Kick Stage with power, propulsion, and communications to deliver a capable low Earth orbit (LEO) platform that serves civil, defense and commercial customers across a range of missions. With a mass of 200-300kg, Photon is launched on Electron for responsive space and other challenging missions like cryogenic fuel demonstration, taking advantage of precision orbit insertion, launch on demand, and the lowest launch environments in industry.
Missions
Through NASA's Tipping Point program to advance commercial space technologies that also support future NASA missions, LOXSAT will test liquid oxygen storage technologies and collect critical fluid management data while in orbit for nine months, all the while supported by Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft bus.
Scalable Spacecraft Solutions
