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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 | Avio / Arianespace | Rocket Lab | Roscosmos / Progress Rocket Space Centre |
| Country | 🇪🇺 Europe | 🇳🇿 New Zealand / USA | 🇷🇺 Russia |
| Status | Active | Active | Active |
| Vehicle class | Small | Small | Medium |
| Propellant | Solid (HTPB + ammonium perchlorate all four stages) | RP-1 / LOX | RP-1 / LOX |
| Reusable | No | Yes | No |
| Stages | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| First flight | 2022 | 2017 | 2004 |
| Payload to LEO | 2,300 kgas of [1]SSO: ~1,700 kg | 300 kgas of [1]~200 kg reusable mode (lower due to propellant reserved for re-entry burn) | 8,200 kgas of [1]Soyuz-2.1b with Fregat upper stage; 2.1a variant ~7,020 kg LEO ↑ Best |
| Payload to GTO | — | — | 3,250 kgas of [1]With Fregat-M upper stage ↑ Best |
| Height | 35 mas of [1] | 18 mas of [1] | 46.3 mas of [1] ↑ Best |
| Liftoff mass | 210 tas of [1] | 13 tas of [1] | 312 tas of [1] ↑ Best |
| Success rate | 75%as of [2]6/8 successes; VV22 (Dec 2022) Zefiro-40 failure destroyed Pléiades Neo 5&6; returned to flight VV25 (Dec 2024). 3 successes in 2025. | 95.4%as of [2]83/87 orbital successes; 21/21 success rate in 2025 calendar year per Rocket Lab investor release | 97%as of [2]~160/165 mission successes since 2004 per aggregated launch logs ↑ Best |
| Total flights | 8as of [2] | 87as of [2] | ~165as of [2] ↑ Best |
| Cost / kg LEO | ~$16,500/kgas of [1]Based on ~$38M list price / 2,300 kg ↓ Cheapest | ~$25,000/kgas of [1]Based on ~$7.5M list price / 300 kg payload | — |
| Summary | Europe's primary small satellite launcher derived from Vega. The P120C first-stage motor is shared with Ariane 6's solid strap-on boosters. Avio took over programme management from Arianespace in Dec 2025. | 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). | Russia's primary medium-lift workhorse, descended from the Soyuz family that has flown since 1966. Carries both crewed Soyuz spacecraft and Cygnus-class cargo. Fregat upper stage significantly expands mission flexibility. Production continues at Samara (now TsSKB-Progress). |
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.