On 8 August 2023, Earth Observation (EO) imagery provider and satellite operator BlackSky contracted with Rocket Lab for five further Electron rocket launches. This deal continues a relationship between the two companies which has seen Blacksky satellites launch on eight Electron missions – with one failure – which began in 2019.
These missions are expected to carry BlackSky’s new “Gen-3” satellites beginning in 2024. Historically previous Electron missions have carried two BlackSky units per mission.
Synspective
Japanese SAR satellite builder and operator Synspective also placed a dual launch contract with Rocket Lab in July. This most recent contract is for its fifth and sixth StriX units, joining the fourth which is also to be launched by Rocket Lab. So far all three of Synspective’s previous satellites have been launched with Rocket Lab.
The companies state that the three upcoming missions are set to begin in late 2023.
Update on 16 August: NASA contracted with Rocket Lab on 14 August for a “double-launch deal” to separately launch two climate science CubeSats that make up its PREFIRE mission. The Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) intends to monitor the FIR emissions of the Arctic to better understand how heat is removed from the planet. The two missions are set to begin launching in May 2024.
