A new rocket engine known as Archimedes, a reusable liquid oxygen/methane gas generator cycle engine designed by Rocket Lab, provides the power for Neutron. Due to Neutron’s lightweight carbon fiber structure, a huge and complex propulsion system is not needed, and Archimedes will provide the needed power, saving time in development, testing, and saving money.
“Neutron is not a conventional rocket. It’s a new breed of launch vehicle with reliability, reusability and cost reduction is hard baked into the advanced design from day one. Neutron incorporates the best innovations of the past and marries them with cutting edge technology and materials to deliver a rocket for the future,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck. “More than 80% of the satellites to be launched in the next decade are expected to be constellations, which have unique deployment needs that Neutron is the first vehicle to address specifically. Like we did with Electron, rather than starting with a traditional rocket design, we focused on our customers’ needs and worked back from there. The result is a rocket that is right-sized for market demand and can launch fast, frequently and affordably.”
