Rocket Lab Delays Launch of Synspective’s Earth-Imaging Satellite

Rocket Lab’s planned mission to deploy a radar-imaging satellite for the Japanese company Synspective faced a setback when the launch attempt on December 20, 2024, was postponed. The Electron rocket, scheduled to lift off from Rocket Lab’s New Zealand site, was grounded approximately 17 minutes before the planned launch. The company attributed the delay to the need for further review of sensor data, according to their post on X (formerly Twitter). A revised date for the launch has yet to be announced.

“Owl The Way Up” Mission Details

The mission, titled “Owl The Way Up,” aims to deploy one of Synspective’s Strix synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites. As per sources, SAR technology is designed to capture high-resolution imagery of Earth’s surface, capable of detecting changes as small as a few millimetres. Synspective plans to establish a constellation of 30 Strix satellites in low Earth orbit, with this mission marking the sixth deployment in the series.

Rocket Lab has been entrusted with 16 dedicated launches to help complete the Strix constellation. If this mission proceeds as planned, the Electron rocket will place the Strix satellite into a 574-kilometre circular orbit approximately 54.5 minutes after liftoff.

Rocket Lab’s Launch Record

The upcoming flight will add to Rocket Lab’s track record of 54 Electron launches to date, including 13 conducted this year. The company has also expanded its capabilities with three flights of HASTE, a suborbital variant of Electron used for hypersonic technology tests. As of now, no new date has been confirmed for the mission, but Rocket Lab is expected to provide live streaming of the event once rescheduled. Updates regarding the launch will continue to be shared through official channels.