Rocket Lab USA’s launches ‘The Owl Spreads its Wings’ mission

Launch and space systems company Rocket Lab USA (NASDAQ: RKLB) has launched “The Owl Spreads its Wings” mission with Japanese earth-imaging company Synspective – marking significant milestones.

“The Owl Spreads its Wings” mission will be Rocket Lab’s third mission for Synspective after its two previous successful launches: “The Owl’s Night Begins” in December 2020 and “The Owl’s Night Continues” February 2022.

The launch took place on 15 September 2022, from Pad B at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula.

It will be the second of three Electron launches bought by Synspective, delivering its StriX-1 satellites to low Earth orbit.

StriX-1 is the Japan-based company’s first commercial satellite for its synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation which aims to deliver imagery, detecting millimeter-level changes to the earth’s surface from space, irrespective of weather conditions.

The launch was broadcast live on Rocket Lab’s website.

Milestones achieved

“The Owl Spreads its Wings” mission marks a number of company milestones for Rocket Lab, as it marks the 30th Electron launch and 150th satellite to orbit.

Rocket Lab’s Electron is recognised as the nation’s second most-frequently launched rocket and has been used more times than all other small launch providers combined.

Once the StriX-1 satellite reached space, it will became Rocket Lab’s 150th satellite to orbit.

The final milestone in this latest mission was the 300th Rutherford engine launched to space – the world’s first 3D-printed, electric pump-fed rocket engine designed by Rocket Lab.

Busy period for Rocket Lab

The latest mission is part of a busy period for Rocket Lab, which has launched nearly 40 of its 150 satellites within the past 90 days.

Included in the launches recently were NASA’s CAPSTONE lunar probe, as well a space junk removal test, which took place during Rocket Lab’s “There and Back Again” mission.

NASA’s CAPSTONE pathfinding mission was to support its Artemis program which aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon.

“There and Back Again” was a recovery mission where Rocket Lab caught Electron’s first stage as it returned from space under parachutes using a helicopter.

This has enabled Rocket Lab to be one step closer to having developed the first reusable orbital small sat launcher.