noiselaunch2026-09-19

Rocket Lab launches Synspective's 12th StriX SAR satellite

Rocket Lab's 96th Electron flight put Synspective's 12th StriX radar satellite into a 572km orbit from New Zealand.

// sources · 2 attached

what happened

Rocket Lab launched its 96th Electron mission, "Owl By The Dozen," from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand at 3:22 p.m. NZST on September 19, deploying Synspective's 12th StriX synthetic aperture radar satellite to a 572km low Earth orbit, per Rocket Lab's mission release. The flight was Rocket Lab's 17th Electron launch of 2026 and, per Rocket Lab, extends its 100% mission-success record across its multi-year launch partnership with Synspective; Newsroom America's coverage of the same release put 15 more StriX launches on the books to complete the constellation.

why it matters

Another clean Electron flight for a repeat SAR customer keeps Synspective's radar constellation build-out on schedule and reinforces Rocket Lab's position as the default launch vehicle for Japan's smallsat EO operators.