What engine powers Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket?

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is powered by Rutherford engines. Rocket Lab designed and manufactures the engine for the company’s small orbital launch vehicle.

Rutherford uses liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants. Its turbopumps are driven by electric motors powered by batteries, rather than by a conventional gas generator or staged-combustion turbine system.

The engine is used on both stages of Electron, although the second-stage version is adapted for its vacuum environment. Electron’s first stage carries nine Rutherford engines, while the second stage uses one vacuum-optimized engine.

Rutherford is named after Ernest Rutherford, the New Zealand-born physicist. The name is sometimes confused with Merlin, which powers many SpaceX Falcon rockets, or Raptor, which powers Starship. Rocket Lab has also developed the larger Archimedes engine for its future Neutron rocket.