Thread by @thesheetztweetz

Rocket Lab $RKLB is giving a major update on its planned larger Neutron rocket at 8 a.m. ET, providing the first details about the reusable vehicle since announcing the company was going public.

Watch the livestream:

$RKLB Neutron event starting now:

CEO @Peter_J_Beck: "Where do you start designing a new rocket? Ironically, you don't start at the rocket. You start at the satellite and all the spacecraft you need to launch, and then you start the design process around that."

@Peter_J_Beck Neutron will have a "big wide static base" with built in landing legs.

@Peter_J_Beck Neutron stats:

131 ft tall
23 ft diameter
16 ft (5 meter) fairing

8,000 kilograms to LEO with first stage landings, with a maximum payload to orbit of 15,000 kilograms. $RKLB

@Peter_J_Beck As expected, Rocket Lab's new engine for Neutron is called Archimedes, which is a gas-generator cycle engine with propellants liquid oxygen and methane.

@Peter_J_Beck 7 Archimedes engines for each Neutron first stage

@Peter_J_Beck Everything except for the upper stage is reusable, with Neutron's first stage returning with the fairing still on top.

Rendering of Neutron first stage landing:

@Peter_J_Beck Here is how the Neutron upper stage ejects out of the top of the rocket, which then returns to land.