Archimedes engine tests
Rocket Lab’s new reusable engine has been firing on test stands since 2024.
Under way Since August 2024
Goal
- Qualify the Archimedes engine: nine on the first stage, one vacuum version on the second.
So far
The first Archimedes engine was fired in August 2024 at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.
Testing has continued since, including long burns and restarts.
Future dates come from the launch calendar and are checked every week; they often slip. All Neutron missions