Shares of Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) gained approximately 1% overnight Sunday after the company confirmed its 97th Electron rocket was already positioned on the pad ahead of a launch this week.
The gain followed a nearly 3% rise last week, snapping five consecutive weeks of losses for the commercial space company.
The upcoming mission, set to lift off from Pad B at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, opens its launch window at 8:15 p.m. EDT on Friday.
Rocket Lab confirmed the news on X, stating: “Off to space with our 96th Electron – and our 97th rocket is already lined up for launch this week with another StriX satellite for @synspective.”
The forthcoming flight would mark the company’s fourth Electron launch in just 25 days, following missions on September 2, September 11, and September 19.
The 97th mission, dubbed “Owlright Owlright Owlright,” will carry a synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth-observation company Synspective into a 559-kilometer low-Earth orbit.
The preceding 96th mission, “Owl By The Dozen,” successfully deployed Synspective’s 12th StriX satellite into a precise 572-kilometer orbit, marking Rocket Lab’s 17th launch of 2026.
Rocket Lab has maintained a 100% mission success rate across its entire multi-year partnership with Synspective, serving as the company’s sole launch provider since December 2020.
Another 15 dedicated Electron missions for Synspective are booked through the end of the decade, supporting the construction of a 30-satellite constellation capable of imaging through darkness and cloud cover for disaster response and infrastructure monitoring.
Synspective is also diversifying its launch options by signing an agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to fly two additional StriX satellites aboard Japan’s H3 rocket in 2027, its first booking on a vehicle other than Electron.
While Electron continues its rapid cadence, Rocket Lab is simultaneously advancing Neutron, its reusable medium-lift rocket targeting constellation and national-security missions, with active operations underway on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
Neutron’s reusable “Hungry Hippo” fairing has completed pre-flight testing at the company’s Assembly and Integration Complex, while a 10-meter test stand has been installed at Launch Complex 3 for second-stage thrust module testing.
A confidential customer has booked five Neutron missions through 2029, Kepler Communications has reserved a dedicated launch no earlier than 2028, and Neutron is also contracted under Rocket Lab’s $397 million U.S. Space Force agreement.
Retail sentiment on Stocktwits flipped to “bullish” from “bearish” levels seen a week prior, with one user declaring “$RKLB An unstoppable cadence” and another stating “$RKLB is gearing up for a massive breakout! The technicals and fundamentals are aligning perfectly for Rocket Lab.”
RKLB stock has risen 37% over the past year, with the company’s accelerating launch cadence and Neutron development milestones continuing to drive investor attention heading into the final months of 2026.
