Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has recently announced a deal with Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective to launch two dedicated Electron missions. This brings the total number of Electron launches contracted by Synspective to six. Rocket Lab has been working with Synspective since 2020 and has been the sole launch provider for their StriX constellation. The StriX constellation is designed to deliver imagery that can detect millimeter-level changes to the Earth’s surface from space. Rocket Lab is scheduled to launch three missions for Synspective starting in late 2023 from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck, expressed his honor and pride in being entrusted with the deployment of Synspective’s constellation. He highlighted the precision and efficiency that Rocket Lab provides, giving Synspective flexibility in schedule and orbit with frequent dedicated launch opportunities.
In addition to the high degree of schedule and orbit control, Rocket Lab also offers a unique ability to perform an advanced mid-mission maneuver with the Electron rocket’s Kick Stage. This maneuver helps shield the StriX satellite from the sun, reducing radiation exposure before payload deployment.
Synspective founder and CEO, Dr. Motoyuki Arai, expressed his excitement about the continued partnership with Rocket Lab. He praised Rocket Lab’s reliability and precision, which have been crucial to the successful deployments of their satellites. Dr. Arai looks forward to the upcoming launches and the new insights they will provide to enhance their satellite data and solution service.
Synspective joins other commercial constellation operators like HawkEye 360 and Capella Space in signing multi-launch agreements with Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket this year.
Previous Rocket Lab launches for Synspective include “The Owl’s Night Begins” on December 15, 2020, “The Owl’s Night Continues” on February 28, 2022, and “The Owl Spreads Its Wings” on September 15, 2022.