🚀 Electron | 🛰 BlackSky Gen-3 satellite
Launch date: June 2, 2025 23:57 UTC
Payload: BlackSky Gen-3 satellite
Location: Rocket Lab's New Zealand site
Vehicle: Electron
Rocket Lab successfully launched the ‘Full Stream Ahead’ mission on June 2, 2025, at 23:57 UTC (7:57 p.m. ET), carrying BlackSky’s second Gen-3 Earth-observing satellite aboard an Electron rocket from its New Zealand site. Despite minor delays due to weather and additional system checks, the mission deployed the satellite into a 470 km mid-inclination low Earth orbit. This is the second of four planned Gen-3 launches for BlackSky this year, the 65th Electron flight, and Rocket Lab’s 10th launch for BlackSky. Equipped with advanced sensors capable of 50 cm resolution and AI-driven analytics, the Gen-3 satellite enhances BlackSky’s rapid revisit and daily intelligence services for government and commercial customers, marking further growth for the constellation.
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LC-1B, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Launch Complex 1B (LC-1B) is the second pad at Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1, located on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. Built to supplement the original LC-1A pad, LC-1B allows Rocket Lab to conduct more frequent and flexible launches of its Electron rocket, supporting diverse payloads for commercial, scientific, and government customers.
LC-1B, like its adjacent counterpart, is part of Rocket Lab’s effort to provide rapid and reliable access to orbit from a private facility. Its addition has increased the launch cadence and operational redundancy at the site, further cementing Mahia Peninsula as a significant hub for commercial space launches in the Southern Hemisphere.