Rocket Lab chalks up 60th Electron launch, initiates new BlackSky deployment

Rocket Lab chalks up 60th Electron launch, initiates new BlackSky deployment
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 24, 2025
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a prominent provider of launch services and space systems, has launched its 60th Electron rocket, marking a key milestone in its mission history. This latest launch deployed a new satellite for BlackSky, a leader in real-time space-based intelligence, further enhancing its Earth-imaging constellation.

The mission, named 'Fasten Your Space Belts,' lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, at 12:17 NZDT on February 19 (23:15 UTC on February 18). The payload, BlackSky's first Gen-3 satellite, was successfully placed into a 470km orbit, strengthening the company's growing low Earth orbit network. The Gen-3 satellite was released using Rocket Lab's Motorized Lightband, a separation system that the company has provided for all previous BlackSky launches aboard Electron.

Coming just ten days after the preceding Electron mission from Launch Complex 1, 'Fasten Your Space Belts' underscores Rocket Lab's increasing launch cadence. This achievement cements Electron's position as one of the most frequently launched rockets worldwide. With this latest flight, Rocket Lab has now conducted nine dedicated Electron launches for BlackSky since 2019, making it the primary launch provider for the company's constellation.

Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO, emphasized Electron's reliability: "Electron has proven once again why it is the trusted and dependable rocket of choice for constellation builders like BlackSky: control over when they launch on a rocket that delivers meticulous orbital insertion within their constellation. It's a service that really showcases Electron's strength as a market leader in launch, and one we're looking forward to providing again and again for our next launches for BlackSky."

BlackSky CEO Brian O'Toole highlighted the mission's significance: "The successful launch of our first Gen-3 satellite represents a major step forward in delivering transformative, next-generation space-based intelligence capabilities to our customers. We look forward to commissioning this new satellite and delivering very high-resolution imagery and AI-enabled analytics at industry-leading speeds."

This mission is part of an active launch schedule for Rocket Lab in 2025. Upcoming plans include additional dedicated Electron launches to expand BlackSky's constellation, launches from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 in Virginia, and the highly anticipated first flight of Neutron, the company's new medium-lift reusable rocket.