Rocket Lab has announced the fourth launch of satellites for the Kinéis Constellation in New Zealand.
Takeaway Points
- Rocket Lab has announced the fourth launch of satellites for the Kinéis Constellation.
- The mission was Rocket Lab’s first Electron launch of 2025, the fourth launch for Kinéis to date, and the 59th Electron launch in general.
- The launch date for the fifth Kinéis launch will be announced in the coming weeks.
How many satellites has Rocket Lab launched?
Rocket Lab USA, Inc., a global leader in launch services and space systems, said on Sunday that it has successfully launched its 59th Electron mission, deploying five satellites to low Earth orbit for French Internet-of-Things (IoT) constellation operator Kinéis.
The “IOT 4 You and Me” mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, at 9:43 am NZDT on 9 February (20:43 UTC), successfully deploying five satellites to a 647 km low Earth orbit. The mission was Rocket Lab’s first Electron launch of 2025, the fourth launch for Kinéis to date, and the 59th Electron launch in general, the company said in a statement.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck, while commenting about the launch, said, “That’s four launches done and one still to go for Kinéis, then we’ll have deployed their entire constellation in less than a year. It’s not uncommon for constellation operators to wait longer than that for their first launch, let alone have a full constellation deployed and operating. Once again Electron has shown its strength as a pinpoint accurate constellation launcher that lets customers tailor missions and schedules to their needs.”
Kinéis CTO Michel Sarthou said, “Producing 25 nanosatellites and launching them into orbit in just eight months is an unprecedented feat—and above all, a remarkable challenge! With this fourth and penultimate launch, Kinéis moves one step closer to its ambitious goal: delivering global IoT coverage through a complete constellation of 25 nanosatellites. This milestone showcases the expertise and determination of our teams and partners like Rocket Lab. We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support and commitment we have received since Kinéis was founded.”
What can it support?
Rocket Lab explained that the Kinéis constellation can support forest fire detection, water resource management, infrastructure and energy network monitoring, transport and logistics tracking, and much more.
When will the next one be launched?
According to the report, the launch date for the fifth Kinéis launch in this series of missions will be announced in the coming weeks.
About Rocket Lab
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, a family of spacecraft platforms, and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered over 200 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications.
Rocket Lab’s spacecraft platforms have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.
