SpaceX’s Falcon 1 made the first successful orbital launch by a privately developed liquid-fueled rocket.
Falcon 1 reached orbit on its fourth launch attempt on September 28, 2008. It lifted off from Omelek Island in the Pacific Ocean and carried a small demonstration payload. The achievement followed three failures, including one caused by a fuel leak and another involving an engine shutdown.
The two-stage rocket used liquid oxygen and RP-1 kerosene. Its first-stage Merlin engine and second-stage Kestrel engine were developed by SpaceX. Falcon 1’s success showed that a private company could design, build, and operate a liquid-fueled orbital launcher.
Electron is a later small orbital rocket developed by Rocket Lab. Falcon 9 is a larger successor in SpaceX’s launch family, while Antares was developed by Orbital Sciences and made its first orbital flight in 2013. Falcon 1 was retired after five launches.