Neutron
Rocket Lab
Neutron is Rocket Lab’s medium-lift launch vehicle currently in development, targeting payloads up to 13,000 kg to low Earth orbit in reusable configuration (or up to 15,000 kg expendable). The vehicle is designed primarily for deploying satellite megaconstellations and has a human spaceflight-compatible upper stage, making it a candidate platform for crewed missions. Neutron uses […]
Key figurescomparable across the catalogue
- Payload capacity
- 13,000 kg
Normalised to common units so this product can be compared with others in its category. The supplier's own wording is below.
As published by the supplier
- Payload to LEO (reusable)
- 13,000 kg
- Payload to LEO (expendable)
- 15,000 kg
- Propellant
- Liquid oxygen / liquid methane (methalox)
- Engines
- Archimedes (first stage: 7 engines; second stage: 1 engine)
- Height
- ~40 m
- Diameter
- 7 m (first stage)
- Fairing design
- 'Hungry Hippo' — base-opening composite fairing
- Launch site
- Wallops Island, Virginia (LC-3)
- Status
- In development
About
Neutron is Rocket Lab’s medium-lift launch vehicle currently in development, targeting payloads up to 13,000 kg to low Earth orbit in reusable configuration (or up to 15,000 kg expendable). The vehicle is designed primarily for deploying satellite megaconstellations and has a human spaceflight-compatible upper stage, making it a candidate platform for crewed missions.
Neutron uses a novel ‘Hungry Hippo’ fairing design in which the nose cone opens from the base of the fairing rather than the tip, protecting the rocket’s upper stage during payload deployment. The first stage is designed to return to the launch pad and land propulsively on four deployable landing legs, enabling rapid reuse.
The vehicle is powered by Archimedes engines burning liquid oxygen and liquid methane (methalox), a propellant combination selected for its storability, performance, and potential for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on Mars. Archimedes is designed for high reusability and simplicity, with a target of 10+ reflights per engine.
Neutron will launch from Launch Complex 3 (LC-3) at Wallops Island, Virginia, which Rocket Lab is developing alongside the vehicle. Commercial launch debut was originally targeted for 2024 but has since been revised; as of 2026 the program remains in active development.
Documentation
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