Rocket DB

Head to head

Atlas SLV-3D Centaur vs Electron

Two vehicles in the same payload class. Every figure below comes from the same two sources for both rockets, and a row appears only when both publish the input.

Payload to low Earth orbit

Relative

Atlas SLV-3D Centaur: 800 kg

Electron: 300 kg

Side by side

7 comparable figures

The highlighted value wins the row. Rows where neither direction is better, like length or stage count, highlight nothing.

MetricAtlas SLV-3D CentaurElectron
Flights flown3297
Success rate93.8%95.9%
Payload to LEO (kg)800300
Length (m)2118
Diameter (m)3.051.2
Launch mass (t)12013
Stages23

Atlas SLV-3D Centaur

Flight record
93.8% success rate30 of 32 flown · 2 failed
1973peak 1978 · 7 flights1983

Maiden flight 1973-04-06. Retired.

Electron

Flight record
95.9% success rate93 of 97 flown · 4 failed
2017peak 2026 · 30 flights2026

Maiden flight 2017-05-25. Still flying.

Atlas SLV-3D Centaur is built by Convair of the United States (company profile on Space Index).Electron is built by Rocket Lab of the United States (company profile on Space Index).

Full specifications and the complete launch history for each: Atlas SLV-3D Centaur · Electron.

Specifications from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs, launch records from Space Index. Derived figures are computed here; see sources and method.