Rocket Lab launched a Japanese Earth-observing radar satellite on September 18, 2026. The Electron rocket lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site at 11:22 p.m. EDT (03:22 GMT) and 3:22 p.m. local time on September 19. The mission was for Synspective, a Tokyo-based company, and involved deploying a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) spacecraft.
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SAR satellites can operate day and night and penetrate through cloudy conditions. Synspective aims to create a constellation of these satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), known as Strix, which is named after a genus of owls. Rocket Lab stated that the Strix network delivers data for urban planning, construction monitoring, and disaster response in Japan.
This mission marked Rocket Lab's 12th launch for the Strix constellation, with an additional 15 planned for the future. The Electron successfully placed the Strix satellite into LEO, approximately 355 miles (572 kilometers) above Earth, about 53 minutes after liftoff.
The launch, dubbed "Owl by the Dozen," was Rocket Lab's 17th of 2026 and its 96th overall. The Electron rocket, which is a two-stage vehicle standing 59 feet tall (18 meters), has primarily conducted these missions. Rocket Lab is also developing a more powerful partially reusable rocket called Neutron, expected to debut by the end of the year or in early 2027.