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The global launch market reached $14.1 billion in 2024 — up 34% since 2021.
| Attribute | Electron 🇳🇿 New Zealand / USA Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Remove × | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Firefly Aerospace | Rocket Lab | NASA / Boeing |
| Country | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇳🇿 New Zealand / USA | 🇺🇸 USA |
| Status | Active | Active | Active |
| Vehicle class | Small | Small | Super Heavy |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX | RP-1 / LOX | LH₂ / LOX (RS-25); solid HTPB (SRBs) |
| Reusable | No | Yes | No |
| Stages | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| First flight | 2021 | 2017 | 2022 |
| Payload to LEO | 1,030 kgas of [1]SSO capacity ~630 kg | 300 kgas of [1]~200 kg reusable mode (lower due to propellant reserved for re-entry burn) | 95,000 kgas of [1] ↑ Best |
| Payload to GTO | — | — | 27,000 kgas of [1]Trans-lunar injection (TLI) payload; GTO not a primary design goal ↑ Best |
| Height | 29 mas of [1] | 18 mas of [1] | 98.1 mas of [1] ↑ Best |
| Liftoff mass | 54 tas of [1] | 13 tas of [1] | 2,608 tas of [1] ↑ Best |
| Success rate | 43%as of [2]3/7 full successes (FLTA003 Jul 2023, FLTA005 Dec 2024, FLTA007 Mar 2026) + 2 partial successes + 2 failures through FLTA007 | 95.4%as of [2]83/87 orbital successes; 21/21 success rate in 2025 calendar year per Rocket Lab investor release | 100%as of [2]2/2: Artemis I uncrewed (Nov 16, 2022) + Artemis II crewed lunar flyby (Apr 1–10, 2026) ↑ Best |
| Total flights | 7as of [2] | 87as of [2] ↑ Best | 2as of [2] |
| Cost / kg LEO | ~$14,500/kgas of [1]Based on ~$15M list price / 1,030 kg LEO ↓ Cheapest | ~$25,000/kgas of [1]Based on ~$7.5M list price / 300 kg payload | ~$40,000+/kgas of [3]NASA OIG (2023) estimated $4.1B per Artemis SLS/Orion flight; total program $23B+ development cost |
| Summary | Firefly Aerospace's two-stage small-lift rocket powered by four Reaver engines at sea level and one Lightning engine in vacuum. Also provides launch services for NASA's CLPS programme (Blue Ghost lander launched on Falcon 9). FLTA007 'Stairway to Seven' succeeded Mar 11, 2026. | The world's most commercially active small launch vehicle, designed and built in-house at Rocket Lab. Rutherford engines are the first flight-proven engines made with additive manufacturing (metal 3D printing). Booster recovery via parachute and helicopter catch (later transitioned to ocean recovery). | NASA's human deep space launch vehicle for the Artemis programme. Uses heritage RS-25 shuttle main engines (4 per flight, expended). Block 1B with Exploration Upper Stage cancelled Feb 2026; Block 1 will fly through Artemis IV at minimum. |
28 launch vehicles across 10 countries — active, retired, and in development — with primary-source citations from manufacturer user guides and agency press kits. Pure URL state: bookmark or share the link and the comparison reproduces exactly.