What Rocket Lab’s Future Neutron Propulsion Will Look Like

What Rocket Lab’s Future Neutron Propulsion Will Look Like

In recent months especially Rocket Lab has been working hard to continue improving Electron’s launch capabilities and more. This is in addition to the recently announced development and plans regarding the partially reusable Neutron launch vehicle. This rocket is meant to change how Rocket Lab accesses space and what they can offer to different customers.

Just a few days ago Rocket Lab released more information regarding the propulsion for this next-generation rocket. Specifically, they gave us some insight into the director of propulsion for Neutron and more. This gives a lot of valuable information regarding the future of the rocket and what will propel it throughout its many expected launches.

A rocket engine is an extremely complex and important part of any rocket. Rocket Lab has had a lot of success with the engines powering Electron and plan to improve on what they have accomplished so far with Neutron. If successful Rocket Lab will have access to an extremely affordable and efficient launch vehicle. Here I will go more in-depth into the most recent information released by Rocket Lab and what it means for the future.

Neutron Update

Rocket Lab is excited for the future of Neutron and has some big plans regarding each aspect of the next-generation launch vehicle. This includes the very important propulsion systems for the first and second stages. Only a few days ago on March 20th, Rocket Lab tweeted saying, “The opportunity to develop a new liquid rocket engine from a clean sheet is rare. Our team has already done it once with Rutherford, now we’re doing it for Neutron’s engines, Archimedes. Join the team as Director of Neutron Propulsion.” Here Rocket Lab is looking for a highly qualified team to work on and develop a rocket engine of the future meant to change how we access space. The company went on to highlight some of the aspects of this role and what to expect. They first mentioned, “Rocket Lab is the global leader in small satellite launch. Our mission is to open access to space to improve life on Earth. There are endless possibilities for what we can achieve with better access to space, and that access is now a reality thanks to Rocket Lab. Our team is 1,100 people strong and we’re adding to it every week. Collaboration is at our core – every idea is heard and everyone makes a difference. Teams are nimble, decisions are made quickly and we are action-oriented.” Its clear Rocket Lab takes a lot of pride in the employees that make each aspect of the company possible and are working hard to add to that team for the future of Neutron.

Rocket Lab went on to give more in-depth information on the plan for Neutron and what exactly they are looking for in terms of the Director of Neutron Propulsion. Neutron is a medium-lift launch vehicle capable of delivering the mega constellations of tomorrow, high assurance payloads, and human spaceflight. As a highly reusable launch platform, Neutron will deliver a highly cost-effective and reliable launch solution leveraging Rocket Lab’s proven execution history with the Electron program. At 40 meters tall and 7 meters wide, Neutron has an estimated payload to LEO of 8,000 kilograms with a max payload to LEO of 15,000. This power would be provided by 7 Archimedes Engines on the first stage and a single vacuum Archimedes Engine on the second. These engines will use LOX and Methane for propellant helping the first stage alone produce a total peak thrust of over 1.6 million pounds. Taking a look back at Rocket Lab’s requirements and goals for the future regarding this position, they are looking for very specific people for the job. They mention that, “We are rapidly growing our team at all sites globally to develop and get a vehicle to the pad in 2024. If you want to join a high performing team, pushing the boundaries with a clean sheet development of re-usable liquid launch vehicle, this is your opportunity.” Its clear that this position Rocket Lab is offering would not only be extremely important to practically all future operations of Neutron but also very challenging as you work to develop a next generation rocket engine of the future.

Now that we know some of the general goals of Rocket Lab related to this director of propulsion position, we can take a closer look at some of the specific responsibilities and tasks required. They point out, “As the Director of Neutron Propulsion, you are responsible for developing a liquid rocket engine (LOx /LNG) from a clean sheet. This is a key role in supporting the development of the Neutron launch vehicle where you will build a high performing team under your direction. In addition to building a team in-house, you will be required to manage external resources, suppliers, equipment, and infrastructure teams that need to be established and maintained to successfully accomplish program objectives. Every day will be different, and you need to be capable of addressing direction to the program as required across the vast challenges that arise.” Rocket Lab finishes by saying, “Not often do we open a leadership role as exciting as this one and we’re looking for the best to join the team!” Based on this role along with the expectations it’s clear this job comes with big shoes to fill. The future of Neutron practically relies on this position’s ability to work to develop and create a new and innovative rocket engine of the future. Not to mention Rocket Lab’s ambitious timeline for 2024 and beyond. However, it would also be extremely exciting and provide someone the opportunity to possibly create history working on a vital component of Neutron.

Lastly, just to clarify the exact type of person Rocket Lab is looking for, they provided a list of skills and experience that they consider necessary in order for the job to be done well. This list starts with a background in aerospace development projects (10+ years) followed by a proven capability with building and running high performing teams. Due to the size of Rocket Lab and the company’s extensive resources, this position will have access to a large number of employees and tools to get the job done. Next on the list is clear decision making under pressure, followed by proven communication skills and the ability to build strong working relationships. The last two skills necessary include a high work ethic working leveraging Rocket Lab’s global team and facilities, and extensive liquid rocket engine development experience.

Conclusion

Developing and creating a launch vehicle of the future meant to change how we access space is an ambitious and challenging task in many ways. This is exactly what Rocket Lab is working towards with Neutron, a partially reusable medium-lift launch vehicle meant for constellations and more. One of the most important parts of a rocket could easily be the propulsion system or engines. Right now Rocket Lab is looking for a director of propulsion for Neutron. We will have to wait and see what the company comes up with and the impact it has on the future of the space industry.