Rocket Lab, a space systems company and the global leader in dedicated small satellite launch, has successfully launched its 16 th Electron mission and deployed 30 small satellites to orbit – the largest number of satellites deployed by Electron to date on a single mission. The 'Return to Sender' mission also saw Rocket Lab complete a successful splashdown and recovery of the first stage of an Electron launch vehicle for the first time, bringing the stage back to Earth under a parachute after launch. The recovery of a stage is a major milestone in Rocket Lab's pursuit to make Electron a reusable rocket to increase launch frequency and reduce launch costs for small satellites. Approximately two and a half minutes after lift-off, at an altitude of around 80 km, Electron's first and second stages separated per standard mission procedure.