[[Home|🏠]] <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> <span class="no-hover">[[Launches]]</span> <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> 016 - Return to Sender
>[!success] Mission Success
>[!summary]
Rocket Lab’s 16th Electron launch 'Return to Sender' successfully launched November 20, 02:20 UTC from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.
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The Electron launch vehicle lofted 30 satellites to a sun-synchronous orbit at 500 km altitude for a range of customers, including [[TriSept]], [[Unseenlabs]], [[Swarm]], Auckland Programme for Space Systems, and global gaming software company [[Valve]].
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This mission also included Rocket Lab's first attempt to bring Electron’s first stage back to Earth under a parachute system for a controlled water landing before collection by a recovery vessel - a major milestone in Rocket Lab’s pursuit to make Electron a reusable rocket to support an increased launch cadence for small satellites.
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[📸 Mission Photo Album](https://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketlab/albums/72157716860025163/)
#electron #launch #rideshare #success
| **Mission Name** | Return to Sender |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Launch Date** | 2020-11-20 02:20 |
| **Outcome** | âś… Success |
| **Customer** | [[Trisept]], [[Unseenlabs]], [[Swarm]], [[The University of Auckland]], [[Valve]] |
| **Location** | [[Launch Complex 1#Launch Pad A]] |
| **Vehicle** | [[Electron]] |
| **Orbit Type** | [[🌍 Orbits#SSO]] |
| **Target Orbit** | 500 km | 97.3° |
| **Payload Mass** | 200 kg |
| **Recovery** | Success (Ocean Landing) |
| **Mission Link** | [Return to Sender](https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/missions-launched/flight-16/) |
| **Press Kit** | [Press Kit PDF](https://rocketlabcorp.com/assets/Uploads/Return-to-Sender-Press-Kit-RL-Final3.pdf) |
![[Pasted image 20250406132803.png|300]]
## 📽️ Launch Video
<div class="responsive-video">
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eZGI_lHGltA" title="Rocket Lab's Electron - Return to Sender Mission" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
## đź“° News
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table published as "Published"
from "News"
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| File | Published |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- |
| [[News/How to bring a rocket back from space.md\|How to bring a rocket back from space]] | November 30, 2020 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab Launches 16th Mission, Completes Booster Recovery.md\|Rocket Lab Launches 16th Mission, Completes Booster Recovery]] | November 22, 2020 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab to Attempt First Stage Recovery on Next Mission.md\|Rocket Lab to Attempt First Stage Recovery on Next Mission]] | November 05, 2020 |
| [[News/Rocket Lab to Launch Most Diverse Mission Yet.md\|Rocket Lab to Launch Most Diverse Mission Yet]] | November 02, 2020 |
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