Rutherford family
Rutherford is Rocket Lab’s family of electric-pump-fed liquid-oxygen/kerosene rocket engines. Battery-powered brushless DC motors drive the propellant pumps, replacing the gas-driven turbopump machinery used in many liquid rocket engines. The family includes sea-level first-stage engines and a vacuum-optimized upper-stage version. Electron combines nine sea-level engines with one vacuum engine; ratings and nozzle configuration belong to the specific model. Rocket Lab began engine development and test firing in 2013, and Electron first launched in 2017.
Identity
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Identity Level
- family
- Kind
- liquid-rocket-engine
- Name
- Rutherford family
- Status
- active
Details
- Description
- Rutherford is Rocket Lab’s family of electric-pump-fed liquid-oxygen/kerosene rocket engines. Battery-powered brushless DC motors drive the propellant pumps, replacing the gas-driven turbopump machinery used in many liquid rocket engines. The family includes sea-level first-stage engines and a vacuum-optimized upper-stage version. Electron combines nine sea-level engines with one vacuum engine; ratings and nozzle configuration belong to the specific model. Rocket Lab began engine development and test firing in 2013, and Electron first launched in 2017.
- Developers
- Manufacturers
- Propellants
- keroseneliquid oxygen
Links
- Official Url
- https://rocketlabcorp.com/launch/electron/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 29, 2026 at 08:54:47 UTC
- Updated Time
- October 29, 2026 at 15:19:40 UTC
Other
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Publisher
- Rocket Lab
- Title
- Electron
- Accessed Date
- 2026-10-29
- Note
- 4 August 2020 release: 35 kg engine mass, development and initial firing in 2013, 5,600 lbf sea-level thrust and 311 s specific impulse for first-stage engines; 5,800 lbf and 343 s for the vacuum version. 5,600 lbf converts to 24.910 kN.
- Publisher
- Rocket Lab
- Title
- Rocket Lab Increases Electron Payload Capacity, Enabling Interplanetary Missions and Reusability