BlackSky targets May 27 launch for next Gen3 imaging satellite with Rocket Lab
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 26, 2025

BlackSky Technology Inc. and Rocket Lab USA have scheduled the next launch in their ongoing satellite deployment partnership, targeting May 27 for liftoff of BlackSky's second Gen-3 satellite. The mission, titled "Full Stream Ahead," will integrate 35-centimeter resolution imaging into BlackSky's rapidly expanding suite of real-time geospatial intelligence services.

Brian O'Toole, CEO of BlackSky, emphasized the strategic value of the Gen-3 upgrades: "Each successive Gen-3 launch represents a major step forward for our global defense and intelligence customer base with the prospect of new mission applications that will be enabled by combining very high-resolution imaging with high-frequency monitoring and advanced AI analytics."

BlackSky is advancing the pace of commercial space intelligence with an AI-driven platform that fuses rapid satellite tasking and data delivery. The company has already secured multiple early access contracts for its Gen-3 capabilities and plans to roll out general commercial access by the fourth quarter of 2025.

With a roadmap that includes placing eight Gen-3 satellites in orbit by early 2026, BlackSky aims to strengthen its monitoring network and increase both the reliability and scale of its intelligence coverage. The evolving constellation is being engineered to enable automated identification and classification of a wide array of objects, including military vehicles, vessels and aircraft.

These capabilities are designed to support a broad range of defense and intelligence missions, offering high-speed access to precision insights tailored for tactical and strategic operations.

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