Ebook "Rocket Lab"

"Rocket Lab" is the ebook dedicated to Rocket Lab patches of the series "Space Patches – A Journey Through the Cosmos". 

In the vast and rapidly evolving landscape of modern spaceflight, Rocket Lab has carved out a unique and ambitious role. While much of the world’s attention has focused on heavy-lift rockets and crewed missions, Rocket Lab took a different path, one centered on agility, frequency, and innovation in the field of small satellite launches. Since the inaugural flight of Electron in 2017, the company has launched dozens of missions from New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula and, more recently, from U.S. soil as well, becoming a trusted partner in commercial, scientific, and defense-related satellite deployment.

With each Electron mission, Rocket Lab has also continued a tradition beloved by space historians and enthusiasts: the mission patch. These patches, distinctively named and often infused with humor, cultural references, or mission-specific symbolism, have become an integral part of the company’s identity. Each patch tells a story about the mission it represents, reflecting the playful yet precise spirit that defines Rocket Lab.

Unlike the more formal aesthetic of traditional space programs, Rocket Lab’s patches have a unique voice. With names like Still Testing, It’s Business Time, Pics or It Didn’t Happen, and Running Out of Toes, the Electron missions have injected a new tone into the world of launch branding, irreverent yet meaningful, clever but never careless. The patches themselves are beautifully crafted, often incorporating intricate design elements that nod to payloads, customers, or technological milestones. This book captures each of them in high quality, accompanied by key mission context and a visual sense of Rocket Lab’s evolution as a launch provider.

This eBook isn’t just a patch collection; it’s a visual history of Rocket Lab’s rise from early test launches to operational reliability and ambitious new steps, including reusability efforts and the development of the Neutron rocket. As Rocket Lab looks ahead to interplanetary missions and beyond, this collection offers a moment to pause and appreciate how far the company has come, and how it has told that story through its emblematic artwork.

Like my other space patch ebooks, this one is entirely free. It’s non-commercial, ad-free, and created purely out of a love for space exploration and its culture. I hope it becomes a useful reference, a collector’s guide, and above all, an enjoyable journey through one of the most creative visual languages in modern aerospace.

You can preview the book online or download the full version directly. I welcome feedback, suggestions, or additions from anyone who shares this interest. As Rocket Lab continues to launch and innovate, I’ll do my best to keep this archive up to date and alive.

High resolution pdf link: click here