Rocket Lab Launches 100th Electron, Fastest Commercial Rocket to Reach Milestone

Rocket Lab (RKLB) launched its 100th Electron rocket on November 14, 2026, from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, a milestone the company said makes Electron the fastest commercially developed rocket to reach 100 launches. The mission, named "The Mountain God Rises", deployed a single Earth-imaging satellite for Japan's Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS).

Electron first flew in 2017. Rocket Lab said the vehicle has since set several firsts: the first carbon-composite orbital launch vehicle, the first 3D-printed orbital rocket engine (Rutherford, which also uses electric fuel pumps instead of traditional gas turbines), launches from two hemispheres (Virginia, USA, and New Zealand), and a responsive-space record of 16 hours 42 minutes' notice for the U.S. Space Force. The company built the world's first private orbital launch complex in New Zealand.

Rocket Lab said the 100th launch milestone arrives less than a decade after Electron's debut. The vehicle has become one of the world's most frequently launched rockets and has redefined access to space for small satellites, the company said.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) shares were down 3.96% in delayed trading at $61.53 after the announcement. The company is also developing the reusable Neutron medium-lift rocket, while its satellites and spacecraft components have powered more than 1,700 missions in Earth orbit and deep-space exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond.

The next markers for the program are the Neutron development timeline and how Electron's cadence holds as Rocket Lab scales up to serve larger constellation customers. The company said interviews are available on request as schedules allow, and live mission coverage began around 5:30 p.m. NZDT on its YouTube channel.