Rocket Lab Electron 3D model

Rocket Lab's Electron smallsat launch vehicle. Electron was the first electric-pump-fed rocket, the first all-composite rocket, and New Zealand's first domestically-developed rocket.

It is a three-stage vehicle, with a reusable booster and expendable second stage sharing a common structural design and Rutherford main engines, and an expendable third stage which can be configured to also serve as a satellite in its own right (called Photon when configured as a satellite). The kickstage is powered by Curie, using a Rocket Lab-proprietary green propellant. For high-energy missions, a larger Photon variant is available as well (not included, see my Interplanetary Photon model). Two fairing configurations are offered as standard services, for small and large payloads. The booster is recovered via mid-air retrieval after a non-propulsive reentry and parachute descent.

Electron's visual appearance has varied greatly since its debut, for both aesthetic reasons and several subsequent upgrades. These include the addition of the Kickstage, a tank stretch, an optional SYLDA-style rideshare adapter, and accomodations for reusability. The version included in this file is representative of Electron as it exists in December 2021, with silver TPS wrapping the booster to reduce thermal damage on reentry, and red for reuse livery.

Recommended for use with my Interplanetary Photon https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/vehicle/sci-fi/lunar-photon-spacecraft and CAPSTONE https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/space/spaceship/nasa-capstone-spacecraft models

All materials and textures are packed into the .blend file. Unapplied modifiers and instancing have been used to reduce file size and enable easy editing.