Peter Beck:

For the first time in history, you can hear what a 2nd stage sounds like with our new live audio from space. We use structure born vibe to recreate audio. Listen for stage sep, electric pumps spool up and ignition. Pretty cool!

The Mountain God Guards

| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2025-06-11 15:31 | |

|

| | Scheduled for (NZST) | 2025-06-12 03:31 | | Launch site | Rocket Lab LC-1A, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand | | Booster recovery | No | | Launch vehicle | Electron + Curie | | Customer | iQPS | | Payload | QPS-SAR-10 | | Mass | 100 kg | | Target orbit | Low Earth Orbit |

| Stream | Link | |

|

| | Rocket Lab (official) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PplSn4YNbz0 | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=120QV9SI9Lk | | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCf3oDliZ2I |

Stats

• 8th launch for Rocket Lab this year.
• 66th overall launch for Rocket Lab.

Payload info:

Rocket Lab mission page

NextSpaceflight:

QPS-SAR-11

AKA YAMATSUMI-I

iQPS’s satellites are small, high-performance SAR satellites that use a lightweight, large, stowable antenna to collect high resolution images of Earth, even through clouds and adverse weather conditions. Ultimately, the iQPS constellation is planned to have 36 satellites capable of monitoring specific fixed points on Earth every 10 minutes. In addition to launching on Electron, the QPS-SAR satellite will use a Rocket Lab Motorized Lightband as its separation system for deployment to space.

Previous mission: Full Stream Ahead

Next mission: TBD

Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re a relatively small community, so feedback is very valuable!

This was the second of BlackSky’s Gen-3 satellites to reach orbit, after one launched on another Electron in February. The Gen-3 satellites can provide imagery at a resolution of 35 centimeters as well as perform observations at short-wave infrared wavelengths that can penetrate smoke and haze. The satellites also have intersatellite links to decrease latency.

Full Stream Ahead

| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2025-06-02 23:57 | |

|

| | Scheduled for (NZST) | 2025-06-03 11:57 | | Launch site | Rocket Lab LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand | | Booster recovery | No | | Launch vehicle | Electron + Curie | | Customer | BlackSky | | Payload | BlackSky Gen-3 satellites x 5 | | Target orbit | Low Earth Orbit |

Livestreams

| Stream | Link | |

|

| | Rocket Lab (official) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD0qIdUOYnU | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGSGln1VLJw | | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJJIrTteHJg |

Stats

• 7th launch for Rocket Lab this year.
• 65th overall launch for Rocket Lab.

Payload info:

Rocket Lab mission page

NextSpaceflight:

The second of five BlackSky Technology missions to deploy its new next-generation BlackSky Gen-3 satellites. The commercial constellation of Gen-3 satellites has the capability to produce images with 50-centimeter resolution and to host multiple sensors, including shortwave infrared (SWIR). The improved resolution and enhanced spectral diversity of the Gen-3 satellites will expand BlackSky's ability to provide real-time information to its customers.

Previous mission: The Sea God Sees

Next mission: The Mountain God Guards

Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re a relatively small community, so feedback is very valuable!

A group of satellites that Rocket Lab has helped put into space is poised to aid Ukraine's military in the war with Russia.

Rocket Lab USA launched its third mission for Japanese company iQPS at the weekend from its spaceport on Māhia Peninsula.

It has been widely reported Japan has agreed to provide Ukraine's military intelligence agency for the first time with advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery from satellites run by iQPS (Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space).

"Another fantastic launch by the Electron team to flawlessly deliver another iQPS mission to orbit," Rocket Lab founder Sir Peter Beck said on 17 May.

The Sea God Sees

| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2025-05-17 08:17 | |

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| | Scheduled for (NZST) | 2025-05-17 20:17 | | Launch site | Rocket Lab LC-1A, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand | | Booster recovery | No | | Launch vehicle | Electron + Curie | | Customer | iQPS | | Payload | QPS-SAR-10 | | Target orbit | Low Earth Orbit |

Livestreams

| Stream | Link | |

|

| | Rocket Lab (official) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ikgtJOeDW4 | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZELdQGR72c | | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0ujvqLMF_s |

Stats

• 6th launch for Rocket Lab this year.
• 64th overall launch for Rocket Lab.

Payload info:

Rocket Lab mission page

NextSpaceflight:

QPS-SAR-10

iQPS’s satellites are small, high-performance SAR satellites that use a lightweight, large, stowable antenna to collect high resolution images of Earth, even through clouds and adverse weather conditions. Ultimately, the iQPS constellation is planned to have 36 satellites capable of monitoring specific fixed points on Earth every 10 minutes. In addition to launching on Electron, the QPS-SAR satellite will use a Rocket Lab Motorized Lightband as its separation system for deployment to space.

Previous mission: Finding Hot Wildfires Near You

Next mission: Full Stream Ahead

Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re a relatively small community, so feedback is very valuable!

In a May 8 earnings call to discuss the company’s first quarter financial results, Rocket Lab executives said work to close its latest deal, the acquisition of optical communications terminal supplier Mynaric, was “progressing well” towards closing it later this year.

Rocket Lab announced March 11 its agreement to acquire Mynaric for an initial $75 million plus up to $75 million in additional payments tied to revenue targets. The deal depends on Mynaric completing a restructuring process under German law that started in February and is ongoing.

Mynaric ran into financial problems that triggered the restructuring because of problems producing its laser terminals, which Rocket Lab believes it can correct. “The biggest issue is just production, and that’s an area where we’re very, very strong in,” said Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab.

The acquisition, he noted, would give Rocket Lab its first presence in Europe. “We’ve been thinking about how we get into Europe for quite some time,” he said. Winning orders from European government agencies is difficult for companies outside Europe. “It’s an exciting [total addressable market] expansion opportunity for us because it’s typically very, very difficult to get involved with these larger European programs unless you have a footprint there.”

The mission, slated for no earlier than 2026, will fall under the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) “rocket cargo” program, which explores how commercial launch vehicles might one day deliver materiel to any point on Earth within hours—a vision akin to airlift logistics via spaceflight.

Rocket Lab announced the award May 8. The contract’s value was not disclosed.

The company’s founder and CEO Peter Beck, speaking during a first-quarter earnings call, described the Air Force initiative as still in its infancy. “That program is really at the very beginning of its development within the U.S. government,” Beck said. “So I think we’re very much in the experimental phase. And it’ll be interesting to see if that turns into a full requirement for an operational capability.”

Beck added that it’s “good to be on that program, working on it early.”

The cargo test would be a “survivability experiment.” Neutron is expected to carry a payload that will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, demonstrating the rocket’s ability to safely transport and deploy cargo. Beck noted that the launch will be a “multi-manifest” mission, carrying multiple payloads.

https://bsky.app/profile/rocketlabusa.com/post/3lnj23f7xos2q

New HASTE launch alert 🚨 We've been awarded the first full-scale flight test under the @DeptofDefense's MACH-TB 2.0 program by @KratosDefense. Scheduled for lift-off in Q1 next year.

Full details: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/rocket-lab-awarded-new-haste-launch-contract-for-the-dod-by-kratos/

https://bsky.app/profile/rocketlabusa.com/post/3llrsyns2ik2b

Milestone reached on the road to Neutron's first launch 🚀 Stage 2 qualification is now complete, proving out the stage's design, operations, and readiness for flight.

https://bsky.app/profile/rocketlabusa.com/post/3llrsz3xdes2b

Neutron's Stage 2 is a novel concept. Unlike most rockets, it hangs inside Stage 1 from the top of the tank, rather than being supported from the bottom, enabling a very lightweight structure. Stage 2 is then expelled from within to deliver the payload to space.

https://bsky.app/profile/rocketlabusa.com/post/3llrsz63kxs2b

Stage 2's qualification has included:
✔ 1,300,000+ pounds of force in tension load applied
✔ flight-like operations combining flight software, avionics, GNC systems, & more performed in cryogenic conditions
✔ pressurization and proof testing at 125% maximum operating pressure and mechanical loads

Finding Hot Wildfires Near You

Rocket Lab's mission names never fail to disappoint...

| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2025-03-26 15:30 | |

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| | Scheduled for (NZDT) | 2025-03-27 04:30 | | Launch site | Rocket Lab LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand | | Booster recovery | No | | Launch vehicle | Electron + Curie | | Customer | OroraTech | | Payload | OroraTech Constellation Phase 1 | | Target orbit | Sun-Synchronous Orbit |

Livestreams

| Stream | Link | |

|

| | Rocket Lab (official) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-ozUCTeDFE | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqq0Ie-xDbE | | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzIHOaLzXlc |

Stats

• 5th launch for Rocket Lab this year.
• 63rd overall launch for Rocket Lab.

Payload info:

Rocket Lab mission page

NextSpaceflight:

OroraTech Constellation Phase 1

OroraTech is developing a constellation of satellites with thermal infrared cameras that can provide 24/7 monitoring of wildfires globally, supporting better and faster wildfire response to protect forests, people, and infrastructure worldwide. The mission will deploy its latest plane of satellites called OTC-P1 to their current constellation, further expanding OroraTech’s capabilities to first responders, governments, and industry partners. The company will expand their constellation with up to 100 satellites in total by 2028.

Previous mission: High Five

Next mission: The Sea God Sees

Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re a relatively small community, so feedback is very valuable!

High Five

| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2025-03-18 01:31 | |

|

| | Scheduled for (NZDT) | 2025-03-18 14:31 | | Launch site | Rocket Lab LC-1A, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand | | Booster recovery | No | | Launch vehicle | Electron + Curie | | Customer | Kinéis | | Payload | Kinéis Mission V | | Target orbit | LEO |

Livestreams

| Stream | Link | |

|

| | Rocket Lab (official) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-31hJeW1ec | | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CC5_hmqH44 | | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJa0ak2i6fE |

Stats

• 4th launch for Rocket Lab this year.
• 62nd overall launch for Rocket Lab.

Payload info:

Rocket Lab mission page

NextSpaceflight:

Kinéis Mission V

Fifth and final batch of five satellites for the French Kinéis IoT constellation designed to operate with 25 nanosatellites of 28 kg each. The constellation will enable Kinéis, a company backed by private and public investors including the French government’s space agency CNES (Centre National d'Études Spatiales) and CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites) an international space-based solutions provider, to improve its global IoT connectivity.

Previous mission: The Lightning God Reigns

Next mission: Finding Hot Wildfires Near You

Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re a relatively new community, so feedback is very valuable!

Video description:

If a jumbo jet doesn't throw away its doors every flight, why should we? Hear more from Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck on the mechanics and design philosophy behind Neutron's captive and reusable fairing, a.k.a. Hungry Hippo.