Tag: New Zealand
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Rocket Lab Completes Tenth Dedicated Synspective Launch
Rocket Lab has successfully launched another satellite for Japanese Earth observation company Synspective, completing the tenth dedicated Electron mission for the customer with a 100% mission success record. The mission, named “Ten Owl Of Ten,” lifted off aboard an Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 5:43 a.m. NZST on 27 June…
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Rocket Lab Wins NASA Contract for Three Electron Science Missions
Rocket Lab has secured a new launch contract from NASA to carry out three scientific missions using its Electron rocket, further expanding its government launch portfolio. The launches will support NASA’s Polarised Submillimetre Ice-cloud Radiometer (PolSIR) and Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2 (TSIS-2) missions, with liftoffs scheduled to begin in 2027 from Rocket Lab’s…
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Rocket Lab Launches U.S. Space Force Mission in Under 17 Hours After Call-Up
Rocket Lab has successfully launched a responsive space mission for the U.S. Space Force, deploying a spacecraft less than 17 hours after receiving a launch order as part of the Victus Haze mission. The mission, conducted under the U.S. Space Force’s Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program, lifted off aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from…
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Rocket Lab Launches Confidential Satellite on Electron Rocket From New Zealand
Rocket Lab launched a satellite for an undisclosed commercial customer on March 5, sending the payload into low Earth orbit aboard its Electron rocket from the company’s launch site in New Zealand. The 18-meter-tall Electron rocket lifted off at 6:53 p.m. EST (2353 GMT), or 12:53 p.m. local time on March 6, beginning a mission…
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Rocket Lab Delays Neutron Rocket Debut to Q4 2026 as 2025 Revenue Climbs 38%
Rocket Lab said the inaugural flight of its medium-lift Neutron rocket will be delayed until the fourth quarter of 2026, according to the company’s 2025 earnings report. The update pushes the timeline beyond earlier expectations that the rocket could debut sooner and comes after a fuel tank ruptured during testing in January. The delay relates…
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Rocket Lab Launches South Korean Disaster-Monitoring Satellite After Delay
Rocket Lab successfully launched a South Korean Earth-observation satellite from New Zealand on Thursday, placing a disaster-monitoring spacecraft into low Earth orbit about six weeks later than originally planned. A 59-foot Electron rocket lifted off from Rocket Lab’s launch site on the Māhia Peninsula at 8:21 p.m. EST (0121 GMT on Friday), carrying the “Bridging…
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Rocket Lab Marks 80th Electron Launch With Open Cosmos Mission
Rocket Lab has completed its 80th Electron launch and its first mission of 2026, successfully deploying two spacecraft for European space technology company Open Cosmos, the company said. The mission, titled The Cosmos Will See You Now, lifted off at 11:52 p.m. NZDT on Jan. 22 from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.…
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Rocket Lab Launches iQPS Satellite on Sixth Mission for Japanese Earth-Imaging Firm
*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” tabindex=”-1″ data-turn-id=”request-WEB:7adac108-e90a-45dc-9fe0-7a16dc96bce8-1″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-4″ data-scroll-anchor=”true” data-turn=”assistant” style=”height: auto !important;”> Rocket Lab successfully launched its sixth mission for Japanese Earth-imaging company iQPS on Tuesday, deploying another satellite to strengthen the firm’s constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) spacecraft. An Electron rocket carrying the QPS-SAR-14 satellite, named Yachihoko-I, lifted off from Rocket Lab’s…
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Rocket Lab’s Electron Rocket Successfully Launches BlackSky Gen-3 Imaging Satellite
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket successfully placed a BlackSky high-resolution imaging satellite into orbit during a launch from its New Zealand facility. The launch occurred at 7:57 p.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The Gen-3 satellite deployed 52 minutes after liftoff from the rocket’s kick stage into a circular orbit approximately 470 kilometers…
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Rocket Lab to Acquire Defense Sensor Firm Geost in $325 Million Deal
Rocket Lab, a U.S.-based launch services and aerospace manufacturer, announced plans to acquire defense technology supplier Geost in a deal valued at up to $325 million, marking a significant expansion into U.S. national security programs. The acquisition includes $125 million in cash and $150 million in Rocket Lab stock, with an additional $50 million in…