The mission was Rocket Lab's 16th launch for the year and sixth launch to date for Japanese Earth-observation company Synspective
MAHIA, New Zealand--(BUSINESS WIRE)--$RKLB--Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) ("Rocket Lab" or "the Company"), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it successfully completed the Company's 16th launch for the year, deploying a satellite for Japanese Earth-observation constellation operator Synspective.
The "Owl The Way Up" mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand on 22 December at 03:17 NZT deploying a single StriX satellite to orbit from the Electron launch vehicle. The mission was the sixth in a total of 16 launches booked on Electron for Synspective, an Earth observation company operating a constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites designed to deliver imagery that can detect millimetre-level changes to the Earth's surface from space. Rocket Lab first launched for Synspective in December 2020 and has been the sole launch provider for Synspective's constellation to date.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, says: "Mission success once again for Synspective, capping off our busiest launch year to date. We look forward to continuing to increase our launch cadence in the new year as we strengthen Electron's position as the leading small rocket globally, and also enter the medium launch market with Neutron's debut. In 2024 we launched missions for NASA, the NRO, deployed multiple missions for commercial constellation operators like Synspective, launched suborbital HASTE missions advancing hypersonic flight test capability, and to top it all off, we achieved a world first by launching two missions from two different hemispheres in less than 24 hours. Thank you and congratulations to the Rocket Lab team, our customers, and our mission partners for another stellar year."
Rocket Lab launched 16 missions in 2024, besting the Company's previous annual launch record of 10 missions, achieved in 2023 and representing a launch cadence increase of 60% year-on-year. Rocket Lab maintained a record of 100% mission success for all launches in 2024. The "Owl The Way" up launch was Rocket Lab's final scheduled launch for 2024 with the next Electron launch scheduled in Q1 2025.
Rocket Lab Images and Videos:
Launch webcast:
About Synspective's constellation:
Synspective's small SAR satellites, StriX, are equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor, which can observe the Earth's surface in any weather condition day or night. Not affected by clouds or rainSAR is suitable for persistent monitoring of disasters and detailed changes to secure critical infrastructure and other facilities. Example use cases include:
detecting anomalies in road, rail, energy and other infrastructure, resulting in lower maintenance costs and accident risk,
monitoring crop growth conditions and analyzing soil and vegetation health to help reduce costs and increase efficiency for farmers,
detecting illegal logging and fishing in the most remote parts of the world,
providing rapid damage assessment after flooding, landslides and volcanic eruptions, as well as risk assessment for land subsidence,
enabling the persistent monitoring of maritime traffic, border activities and other potential security threats, and advances maritime domain awareness,
analyzing tree cover to calculate CO2 absorption and carbon credits.
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 more than 200 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 Photon spacecraft platform has 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.
該任務是火箭實驗室今年的第16次發射，也是日本地球觀測公司Synspective迄今爲止的第六次發射
新西蘭馬希亞--(美國商業資訊)--$RKLB--發射服務和太空系統的全球領導者美國火箭實驗室（納斯達克股票代碼：RKLB）（「火箭實驗室」 或 「公司」）今天宣佈，成功完成了公司今年的第16次發射，爲日本地球觀測星座運營商Synspective部署了一顆衛星。
「Owl The Way Up」 任務於新西蘭夏令時12月22日 03:17 從新西蘭馬希亞的火箭實驗室1號發射綜合體起飛，將一顆StriX衛星從電子運載火箭發射到軌道。該任務是Electron爲Synspective預訂的總共16次發射中的第六次。Synspective是一家地球觀測公司，運營合成孔徑雷達（SAR）衛星群，旨在提供可以從太空探測地球表面毫米級變化的圖像。火箭實驗室於2020年12月首次爲Synspective發射，迄今爲止一直是Synspective星座的唯一發射提供商。
火箭實驗室創始人兼首席執行官彼得·貝克爵士表示：「Synspective再次成功完成任務，結束了我們迄今爲止最繁忙的發射年。我們期待在新的一年裏繼續加快發射節奏，鞏固Electron作爲全球領先小型火箭的地位，並隨着Neutron的首次亮相進入中型發射市場。2024年，我們爲美國國家航空航天局（NRO）啓動了任務，爲Synspective等商業星座運營商部署了多個任務，啓動了亞軌道HASTE任務，提高了高超音速飛行測試能力，最重要的是，我們在不到24小時的時間內從兩個不同的半球發射了兩個任務，實現了世界第一。感謝並祝賀火箭實驗室團隊、我們的客戶和任務合作伙伴又度過了輝煌的一年。」
火箭實驗室在2024年發射了16次任務，打破了該公司此前在2023年實現的10次任務的年度發射記錄，發射節奏同比增長了60％。火箭實驗室保持了2024年所有發射任務成功率100％的記錄。「Owl The Way」 發射是火箭實驗室計劃於2024年發射的最後一次發射，下一次電子發射定於2025年第一季度進行。
火箭實驗室圖片和視頻：
啓動網絡直播：
關於 Synspective 的星座：
Synspective的小型SAR衛星StriX配備了合成孔徑雷達（SAR）傳感器，該傳感器可以在任何天氣條件下白天或晚上的任何天氣條件下觀測地球表面。不受雲或RainSAR影響，適用於持續監測災害和詳細變更以保護關鍵基礎設施和其他設施。示例用例包括：
檢測公路、鐵路、能源和其他基礎設施中的異常情況，從而降低維護成本和事故風險，
監測作物生長條件，分析土壤和植被健康狀況，以幫助農民降低成本和提高效率，
偵查世界上最偏遠地區的非法伐木和捕魚，
提供洪水、滑坡和火山爆發後的快速損失評估，以及地面沉降風險評估，
能夠持續監測海上交通、邊境活動和其他潛在的安全威脅，提高對海域的認識，
分析樹木覆蓋率以計算二氧化碳吸收量和碳信用額度。
關於火箭實驗室
Rocket Lab 成立於 2006 年，是一家端到端的太空公司，在任務成功方面有着良好的記錄。我們提供可靠的發射服務、衛星製造、航天器組件和在軌管理解決方案，使進入太空變得更快、更容易、更實惠。Rocket Lab總部位於加利福尼亞州長灘，設計和製造電子小型軌道運載火箭，這是一款經過飛行驗證的航天器系列，該公司正在開發用於星座部署的大型中子運載火箭。自2018年1月首次軌道發射以來，Rocket Lab的電子運載火箭已成爲美國每年發射頻率第二高的火箭，已爲私營和公共部門組織將200多顆衛星送入軌道，爲國家安全、科學研究、空間碎片緩解、地球觀測、氣候監測和通信等領域提供了支持。火箭實驗室的光子航天器平台已被選中來支持美國宇航局的月球和火星任務，以及首次前往金星的私人商業任務。火箭實驗室在兩個發射場有三個發射臺，包括位於新西蘭的私人軌道發射場的兩個發射臺和位於弗吉尼亞的第三個發射臺。
