We're on the cusp of our 50th launch.

And we're on track to reach 50 faster than any other commercially developed rocket.

So what’s changed since our very first Electron launch in 2017?

Time for a stroll down memory lane 🧵 Today Electron has three pads – two at LC-1 in NZ and one at @NASA_Wallops in Virginia. But it all started with a single pad in Mahia where we built the world’s first orbital launch site.

It had everything we needed for those first few launches, but LC-1 was sparse in the early days. Since then we’ve added two 100K class payload processing cleanrooms for dual satellite processing, added an additional launch pad, expanded the Range Control Center, added a Customer Launch Viewing Lounge and generally streamlined facilities and operations.

Lift-off for #WeLoveTheNightlife, carrying the next generation Acadia SAR satellite for @CapellaSpace. Electron has cleared Max-Q.

Happening now - updates from Rocket Lab's Investor Day in New York City. Thread below with news from the day: What's on the agenda at Investor Day:

2021 has been a massive year for the Rocket Lab team building and launching rockets and spacecraft that continue to open access to space. Let's recap ✅ 2021 saw Electron deliver its 109th satellite to orbit and remain the 2nd most-frequently launched U.S. rocket annually. Which mission this year was your favorite?

Our #AnotherOneLeavesTheCrust mission might have seemed straightforward, but the Kick Stage actually pulled some complex orbital maneuvers and performed the longest Curie engine burn to date. Learn more: bit.ly/3qUKkil After separating from Electron, the Kick Stage’s Curie engine performed 2 separate burns - one to raise @OHB_SE’s satellite to a 1,200 km circular orbit, and a 2nd burn to lower the Kick Stage’s perigee after payload deployment, speeding up the Kick Stage’s de-orbit process.

We just made in-space transportation even easier. After deploying 10 sats to perfect orbits for our customers on the #InFocus mission, the Kick Stage had one more trick up its sleeve. For the first time, we demonstrated a plane change maneuver. The ability to change orbital inclinations means more flexibility for our customers, enabling them to position each and every satellite juuuuuust right. It also opens up an even wider range of missions possible from LC-1 and LC-2.

Rocket Lab has been granted a Launch Operator License by @FAANews for Electron missions from LC-2! This is a major step toward the first Electron launches from U.S. soil. Our new #FAA Launch Operator License allows for multiple launches from LC-2 for the next 5 years without needing a new launch-specific license for every mission.

Today’s mission will take us a step closer to reusable Electron rockets. We’re not recovering Electron from this mission, but the 1st stage has new guidance and navigation hardware, plus a reaction control system to orient the stage during re-entry. Today the focus is on monitoring the stage as it comes back to Earth so we can better understand the reentry environments it needs to survive. The data from today will help to inform our first efforts to recover a stage next year.