Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems, has successfully completed its 96th Electron rocket mission, delivering a satellite for Japanese synthetic aperture radar company Synspective.
The mission, named “Owl By The Dozen,” lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, at 3:22pm New Zealand Standard Time on September 19, 2026.
Electron’s Kick Stage delivered Synspective’s 12th StriX satellite into a precise 572km low Earth orbit, enabling immediate integration into the company’s growing Earth-monitoring constellation.
The successful deployment extends Rocket Lab’s unblemished mission success record across its multi-year launch partnership with Synspective, a record the company has maintained throughout the entire relationship.
The flight also marks Rocket Lab’s 17th launch of 2026, a cadence the company says underscores Electron’s standing as the leading small-lift rocket in global commercial launch frequency and reliability.
With 17 missions completed in 2026 alone, Electron has established itself as the most frequently flown commercial small-lift launch vehicle operating anywhere in the world today.
The pinpoint orbital accuracy achieved during the mission is expected to maximize the on-orbit lifetime of the newly deployed StriX satellite, supporting the broader buildout of Synspective’s SAR constellation.
Rocket Lab has 15 additional dedicated Electron missions already manifested through the end of the decade to support the continued expansion of Synspective’s commercial SAR constellation.
Synspective operates a constellation of SAR satellites designed for Earth-observation applications, with each new StriX satellite adding capability and coverage to its commercial monitoring network.
Rocket Lab describes itself as an end-to-end space company, offering rockets, satellites, and spacecraft components for commercial, government, and defense missions, with its satellites and components having powered more than 1,700 missions in Earth orbit and beyond.
The company is also developing Neutron, a reusable medium-lift rocket, alongside its existing Electron small-lift and HASTE hypersonic vehicles, as it pushes to expand its footprint across the global launch market.
