Rocket Lab – Spaceflight Now

Rocket Lab launches 8 wildfire detection satellites for OroraTech on Electron rocket

March 26, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

These first eight satellites are part of OroraTech’s plan to deploy up to 100 satellites by 2028. Liftoff from Mahia, New Zealand happened at 4:30 a.m. NZT on March 27 (11:30 a.m. EDT, 1530 UTC on March 26).

Rocket Lab launches BlackSky Gen-3 satellite on 60th Electron flight

February 18, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission, dubbed ‘Fasten Your Space Belts,’ was Rocket Lab’s second launch of the year and its ninth launch supporting BlackSky as a customer. Liftoff from New Zealand happened at 12:17 p.m. NZDT on Feb. 19 (6:17 p.m. EST, 2317 UCT on Feb. 18).

Rocket Lab launches first Electron rocket of 2025 from New Zealand

February 7, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission was the company’s 59th Electron rocket launch to date. Liftoff of the ‘IoT 4 You and Me’ mission happened at 9:43 a.m. NZDT on Feb. 9 (3:43 p.m. EST, 2043 UTC on Feb. 8).

Rocket Lab, Orora Technologies contract for “responsive launch” ahead of main 2025 wildfire season

January 24, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The eight satellites will also fulfill a concept study contract awarded to OroraTech and Spire Global by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in October 2024. A specific launch date hasn’t been announced, but Rocket Lab said the Electron rocket launch would happen in “just a few weeks.”

Rocket Lab launches 5 Internet of Things satellites following mid-week scrub

September 18, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission will be the 53rd launch of an Electron rocket to date. Liftoff from Launch Complex 1 Pad A happened on Sept. 21 at 11:01 a.m. NZST (Sept. 20 at 7:01 p.m. EDT, 2301 UTC).

Rocket Lab’s Mars-bound twin satellites – Blue and Gold – hit the road ahead of Blue Origin launch

August 16, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The twin spacecraft, named Blue and Gold, left Rocket Lab’s Long Beach facilities on Thursday to begin the trip to Florida. The EscaPADE mission will launch aboard Blue Origin’s first New Glenn rocket.

Rocket Lab launches 5th mission for Japanese Earth observation company, Synspective

August 2, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The Electron rocket carried a StriX satellite to low Earth orbit as part of Synspective’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation. Liftoff happened on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 4:39 a.m. NZT (Friday, Aug. 2, at 12:39 p.m. EDT, 1639 UTC).

Rocket Lab successfully launches its 50th Electron rocket

June 20, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket made history by reaching its 50th launch faster than any other commercially developed orbital launch vehicle. Liftoff from New Zealand took place at 6:13 a.m. NZST on Friday, June 21 (2:13 p.m. EDT, 1813 UTC on Thursday, June 20).

Rocket Lab launches first of NASA’s climate-monitoring PREFIRE spacecraft

May 24, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The two missions will be launched within roughly three weeks of one another from New Zealand. Liftoff of the Electron rocket with the PREFIRE-1 satellite occurred at 7:41 p.m. NZST (3:41 a.m. EDT, 0741 UTC) on Saturday.

Rocket Lab launches NASA, Korean payloads on Electron flight

April 23, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) will test materials and a deployable system for a solar sail-style propulsion system. Liftoff from New Zealand happened at 10:32 a.m. NZT on April 24 (6:32 p.m. EDT, 2232 UTC on April 23).