Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today successfully launched its 51st Electron rocket and deployed a single satellite to low Earth orbit for Synspective, a Japanese Earth-imaging company.
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Rocket Lab’s Electron Rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 1 carrying a satellite to orbit for Japanese Earth-imaging company Synspective. (Photo: Business Wire)
The mission, named “Owl For One, One For Owl” in a nod to Synspective’s StriX satellites named after the genus for owls, lifted off at 04:39 a.m., August 3rd NZT (16:39 UTC, August 2nd) from Launch Complex 1, Rocket Lab’s private orbital launch site on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. The mission deployed the fifth of Synspective’s StriX SAR-imaging satellites to low Earth orbit. In addition to the launch service, Rocket Lab provided a custom Electron fairing to encapsulate the StriX satellite and also performed an advanced mid-mission maneuver with Electron’s Kick Stage to shield the satellite from the sun and reduce radiation exposure on its way to orbit.
Rocket Lab has been the sole launch provider for Synspective’s constellation to date. This mission was the fifth launch of a total of 16 launches booked on Electron for Synspective and the second launch for the Japanese company this year, after the “Owl Night Long” mission launched in March 2024. Most recently, Synspective booked ten dedicated Electron launches as part of a new multi-launch agreement announced in June 2024, with the launches in that new deal set to take place across 2025-2027.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck says: “It’s wonderful to have launched our second mission for Synspective in five months as we continue our longstanding launch partnership. Electron is the ideal rocket for providing flexible, tailored, and direct access to orbit for constellation builders like Synspective, and I’m proud of the team for delivering this latest mission success.”
The launch window for Rocket Lab’s next Electron mission will be announced in the coming days.
Launch webcast: https://www.youtube.com/live/ZdikUDvKYmc?si=DuehwfqVdyT_MhL6
Launch images: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBBTmE
+ About Rocket Lab
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, a family of flight proven spacecraft, and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 190+ satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s family of spacecraft have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.
+ Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational expansion and business strategy are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at www.rocketlabusa.com, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
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