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Neutron
Neutron is an orbital launch vehicle in development operated by Rocket Lab of Long Beach, California, 43 m tall, 13,000 kg to low Earth orbit, 2 stages.
| Operator | Rocket Lab · Long Beach, California |
|---|---|
| Status | In development |
| First flight | 2026 |
| Height | 43 m |
| Diameter | 7 m |
| Liftoff mass | 480 t |
| Liftoff thrust | 5,960 kN |
| Stages | 2 |
| Payload to LEO | 13,000 kg |
| Engines | 9 × Archimedes · 1 × Archimedes Vacuum |
| Propellant | Liquid methane / liquid oxygen |
| Reuse | First stage, returned to the launch site |
| Launch sites | LC-3, Wallops, Virginia |
A carbon-composite medium-lift booster with a "hungry hippo" fairing that stays attached and reopens for reuse. Aimed squarely at the constellation market Falcon 9 owns.
About Rocket Lab
Built the small-launch market almost single-handedly, and is now scaling to a medium-lift reusable vehicle. Founded 2006. Official site.