Owl The Way Up: Rocket Lab Launches Earth-imaging Satellite For Synspective

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket, carrying Strix -- a private Earth-imaging radar satellite for Japanese company Synspective -- lifted off at 1416 UTC Saturday, from the company’s Pad B at Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The “Owl The Way Up” mission is the rocket company's final flight of 2024. (The mission's name is a reference to the payload -- a widespread genus of owls).

Electron's Kick stage deployed Strix into its target orbit 574 kilometers above Earth about 54.5 minutes after launch, according to the company.

"That rounds out 100% mission success for every launch this year. Congratulations team and thanks to all the customers that have flown with us in 2024. On to 2025……." Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said via X shortly after payload deployment.

Synspective is building a constellation of Strix satellites to deliver imagery that can detect millimeter-level changes to the Earth’s surface from space, independent of weather conditions. The company has booked 16 launches with Rocket Lab, with the first Strix launch occurring in December 2020. "Owl The Way Up" was the sixth.

The Strix satellite will join Synspective’s existing constellation, enhancing the company’s capabilities for urban development planning, construction and infrastructure monitoring, and disaster response.