Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering reliable launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, satellite components, flight software, and more.
Created: 2023-02-22
Updated: 2024-07-10
Company - Rocket Lab
Product/Service - Photon
- Classification
- In-Space Transportation
- Category
- Space Tug
- Fields
- Transport Service (In-Space)
- Status
- Demonstrated
- First launch
- 2020
- Photon flies as the upper stage of Electron, eliminating the parasitic mass of deployed spacecraft and enabling full utilization of the fairing.
- Photon can also fly on other launch vehicles, in particular using ESPA ports as a secondary payload.
- Configurable for a range missions in LEO, MEO, GEO, and beyond, including lunar and planetary.
Similar Organizations
Space Tug, Orbital Transportation
Concept
Astris, Susie
Space Tug, Orbital Transportation, Space Situational Awareness (SSA)
Development
NEMO
Space Tug
Development
Quark
Space Tug, In-Space Logistics, Resources - Energy, On-Orbit Servicing, Propellant Refuel Station, Propellant Refilling
Development
Pushpak
Space Tug, Orbital Transportation
Development
SpaceDrone
Transport Service (Re-Entry), Space Tug, Reusable Satellite, Microgravity Flight Service (Reusable Satellite)
Early stage
Blue Ring
Transport Service (Earth-LEO), Transport Service (LEO-GEO), Persistent Platform, Space Tug, Robotic Space Station, In-Space Logistics, Space Logistics Platform, In-Orbit Computing, In-Space Mobility
Development
Square Rocket
Resources - Asteroid Mining, Microgravity Workspaces, Space Tug, Active Debris Removal (ADR)
Development
Space Tug, Transport Service (LEO-GEO), Transport Service (LEO-Moon), In-Space Logistics
Dormant
ClearSpace-1
Active Debris Removal (ADR), Space Tug
Development
Transport Service (LEO-GEO), Space Tug
Development
Transport Service (LEO-Moon), ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization), Space Tug, In-Space Logistics
Concept
ION
Space Tug, In-Orbit Computing, Transport Service (Earth-LEO), Orbital Transportation, In-Space Logistics
Active
Active Debris Removal (ADR), Space Tug, Orbital Transportation
Development
Deep Space Industries
Xplorer, Prospector-1
Resources - Asteroid Mining, Space Tug, ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization)
Dormant
Chimera
Space Tug, In-Space Logistics
Development, Launched
Space Tug
Early stage
Reliant
Space Tug
Development
Space Tug
Space Tug, Orbital Transportation
Dormant
SpaceVan, spacedrop
Space Tug, In-Space Logistics, Orbital Transportation
Demonstrated
Elytra, SUV (Space Utility Vehicle)
Space Tug, Transport Service (LEO-GEO), Orbital Transportation
Development
Space Tug, Transport Service (LEO-GEO)
Dormant
Hyperion
Transport Service (Re-Entry), Transport Service (LEO-Moon), Commercial Lander, Commercial Lunar Lander, Space Tug, Orbital Transportation
Early stage
Helicity Drive
Resources - Energy, Space Tug, Nuclear Fusion Power, In-Space Logistics
Early stage
Hyscab
Space Tug, Orbital Transportation
Early stage
Mira, LEO Express, Helios
Space Tug, Commercial Lander, Commercial Mars Lander
Demonstrated
Phoenix Orbital Transfer Vehicle
In-Space Manufacturing, Orbital Transportation, Space Tug, Microgravity Flight Service (LEO)
Early stage
ARCap Module
On-Orbit Servicing, Transport Service (LEO-GEO), Active Debris Removal (ADR), In-Orbit Inspection, Space Tug, Hardware, Docking
Development
Orbiter
Space Tug, Transport Service (Earth-LEO)
Active, Discontinued, ?
Motus
Space Tug, Orbital Transportation
Development
Space Tug, In-Space Communications Relay, Transport Service (LEO-Moon)
Early stage
VIA
Space Tug, Transport Service (Earth-LEO), Orbital Transportation, Hardware, Software
Development, Concept
Colibri
Space Tug
Development
Vigoride
Space Tug, In-Space Logistics
Active
Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV), SL-OMV
Space Tug, In-Space Logistics
Development
SUPREME
Hardware, Space Tug, In-Space Logistics
Development
Satko
Space Tug, On-Orbit Servicing, Active Debris Removal (ADR)
Development
Space Tug, In-Space Logistics
Concept
Space Truck
Space Tug, On-Orbit Servicing, In-Space Manufacturing, In-Space Assembly, Transport Service (Re-Entry), Orbital Transportation
Cancelled, Development
Space Tug, Transport Service (LEO-GEO)
Cancelled
IOSHEXA
Space Tug, Transport Service (Earth-LEO), Active Debris Removal (ADR)
Development
AstroLab
Space Tug, Active Debris Removal (ADR), On-Orbit Servicing, In-Space Logistics
Early stage
Meteoroid Complementary Descent Module, ASTREO
Space Tug, Transport Service (Re-Entry), In-Space Logistics
Concept
Space Tug
Space Tug, Transport Service (LEO-GEO)
Development
Space Tug
Concept
S4-SLV
Transport Service (LEO-Moon), Space Tug, Transport Service (LEO-GEO), Orbital Transportation
Concept
Modular Transport System (MTS)
Space Tug, Transport Service (Earth-LEO), Transport Service (LEO-GEO), Transport Service (LEO-Moon)
Concept
Commercial Space Station, Space Tug, Space Tourism Activities, Space Solar Power
Dormant
Longbow
Space Tug, In-Space Logistics, Mass Driver
Early stage
OT-S, Optimus-1
Space Tug, In-Space Manufacturing, In-Space Logistics, Transport Service (LEO-GEO), In-Space Mobility, Active Debris Removal (ADR), In-Space Assembly, Space Situational Awareness (SSA)
Development
Orbital Logistics Vehicle (OLV)
In-Space Manufacturing, In-Space Assembly, Space Tug, Transport Service (LEO-GEO), Lunar Electric Grid
Development
Smart Drone
Space Tug, Orbital Transportation, On-Orbit Servicing, Active Debris Removal (ADR), Robotic Arm
Early stage
SHERPA
Space Tug, In-Space Logistics
Cancelled, Acquired, Active, ?
Black Bay
Space Tug, Transport Service (LEO-GEO), Orbital Transportation, Propellant Refilling, Propellant Refuel Station, Reusable Satellite
Dormant, Bankrupt
Space Tug, In-Space Logistics, Active Debris Removal (ADR)
Early stage
STRANNIK-1, STRANNIK-2
Space Tug, Transport Service (LEO-GEO), Transport Service (LEO-Moon)
Cancelled
Otter
Space Tug, On-Orbit Servicing, Satellite Life Extension, Active Debris Removal (ADR), Transport Service (LEO-GEO), Hardware
Development, Launched
Start, Cis-Lunar Transfer Vehicle (CLTV), IMAGIN-e
Space Tug, On-Orbit Servicing, Propellant Refilling, Propellant Refuel Station, In-Orbit Computing
Development
ThinkPlatform-1
Commercial Space Station, Space Construction Company, Microgravity Flight Service (LEO), On-Orbit Servicing, Space Tug
Development
Worker Bee, Sutter Space Telescope
Space Tug, Space Situational Awareness (SSA), Resources - Asteroid Mining, Propellant Refuel Station, Space Mining, In-Space Manufacturing, ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization), Propellant Refilling, Active Debris Removal (ADR)
Development
LOLA, LUCAS, OSSIE
Transport Service (LEO-Moon), Commercial Lunar Lander, Space Tug, In-Space Logistics
Early stage, Development
ACES
Transport Service (LEO-Moon), Commercial Lunar Lander, Space Tug, In-Space Logistics
Concept
XCRAFT
Space Tug, In-Space Logistics, Beyond-LEO Remote Sensing
Development, Concept, ?