Rocket Lab Launcher

Exolaunch to Deploy Eight Satellites for JAXA on Rocket Lab Electron Mission
April 2, 2026

xolaunch, a global leader in launch mission management, satellite integration, and deployment services, will deploy eight customer satellites on the upcoming Kakushin Rising mission led by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). For this mission, Exolaunch's EXOpod NOVA deployers have been selected to provide satellite deployment services, supporting the safe and precise release of the spacecraft once in orbit.

The satellites are scheduled to launch aboard Rocket Lab's Electron rocket no earlier than April 2026, from Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand. Through this mission, Exolaunch will provide its flight-proven separation systems and mission integration expertise to support reliable access to orbit for the participating spacecraft.

JAXA is conducting the Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-4 mission, providing on-orbit demonstration opportunities for Japanese universities, research institutes, and private companies. The payload includes educational smallsats, an ocean monitoring satellite, a demonstration satellite for ultra-small multispectral cameras, and an antenna that can be packed tightly using innovative origami folding techniques then unfurl to 25 times its size when deployed.

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https://twitter.com/x/status/2043716352037228784
View: https://twitter.com/fccfilingalerts/status/2043716352037228784


$RKLB Rocket Lab USA - FCC Docket 0283-EX-ST-2026

This document is a Special Temporary Authorization (STA) granted by the FCC to Rocket Lab USA, Inc. for experimental operations related to launch vehicle and recovery activities. The authorization, call sign WA9XVZ, is effective from July 1, 2026, to January 1, 2027. The STA specifies operating locations, including mobile locations near Wallops Island and in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as fixed locations in Middle River, Maryland. It details frequency usage, authorized power, and emission designators for various communication links involved in the Rocket Lab's mission. This includes telemetry and downrange verification activities.
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Rocket Lab Unveils New Electric Propulsion Satellite Thruster to Meet Constellation Demand

Rocket Lab’s in-house designed and manufactured electric propulsion system, named Gauss, features a Hall Thruster, Power Processing Unit and a Propellant Management Assembly. Recognizing the importance of not only bringing a new high-performance electric propulsion system to market, but also making it reliably available at scale, Rocket Lab has already established a high-volume Gauss production line designed to produce more than 200 thrusters per year, ensuring the Company can supply thrusters on demand in large quantities. Electric propulsion thrusters have historically proven extremely difficult to produce in high volumes, causing supply chain fragility for national security and commercial constellation operators alike. Rocket Lab has leveraged extensive propulsion experience, as well as the proven ability to manufacture critical satellite subsystems in high volumes, to finally deliver an electric propulsion solution in the rapidly growing quantities needed by the global space industry.

...

Key Gauss Features:

* Heaterless cathode technology enabling instantaneous start.
* Magnetic shielding reduces erosion and extends lifetime to support long duration missions.
* Efficient GaNFet based electronics for optimized performance.
* Simple software command interface eliminates complex PPU parameter management.
* ITAR/EAR-free design well suited for wide range of LEO constellation applications.
* Xenon propellant (Krypton also possible)
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Some additional information is available in this video:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2044034287436214411
View: https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/2044034287436214411


Most significantly, that includes actual numbers ("it's about a 700 to 850 watt thruster that's got about 40 milinewtons thrust performance"), the detail that the thruster is throttleable, and a mention that it's built in New Zealand (explaining the "ITAR-free" feature from above).

View: https://youtu.be/UsaoajXERfY
 
I find it interesting they’re baselining xenon while mentioning constellations; that and krypton to a lesser degree are hideously expensive at scale, and we don’t produce much of either globally. But if RL doesn’t plan to scale to thousands of spacecraft it won’t be an issue.
 
EasternShoreSpaceflight
@EShoreSpaceflt
·
Rocket Lab’s HASTE mission “Bubbles” gave us an incredible launch tonight, and I wanted to share two different perspectives from it.

The first was something new I tried — shooting in high-speed continuous mode (around 24–25 frames per second) and compiling those still images into a full sequence. It created a really smooth and unique view of the ascent.

The second was captured on a GoPro Hero 13 placed at the water’s edge in a vertical setup. I like this angle because it keeps the full launch profile in frame from liftoff all the way up. It also picked up some great audio, including a nearby photographer doing a countdown and reactions right after liftoff. The end of that video is sped up about 10x to show the rest of the ascent.

It’s late, everything is finally edited, and it’s time to get some sleep.

I really appreciate all the likes, comments, and messages tonight. I do my best to respond to everyone and keep updates coming during the holds and throughout the launch.

4k Video links:

View: https://youtu.be/QBd_7YTI8Es



and

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/Cbk0gxsuBjw
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https://twitter.com/x/status/2046819210848825800
View: https://twitter.com/EShoreSpaceflt/status/2046819210848825800
 
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhwrZyEIZjg


Press release, and a new picture from the front gates of LC-1

Rocket Lab Completes Second Dedicated Launch for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Full Text Provided:

Mahia, New Zealand: Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today successfully launched its second dedicated mission for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), further strengthening the partnership between Rocket Lab and Japan’s national space agency.

The “Kakushin Rising” mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 3:09 p.m. NZT to successfully deploy eight spacecraft for JAXA’s Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program that included educational small sats, an ocean-monitoring satellite, a demonstration satellite for ultra-small multispectral cameras, and a deployable antenna packed tightly using origami folding techniques that can unfurl up to 25 times its size.

“Kakushin Rising” builds on the success of Rocket Lab’s first dedicated launch for JAXA that took place in December 2025, which saw Electron deploy the RAISE-4 spacecraft that demonstrated new aerospace technologies developed by several companies, universities, and research institutions throughout Japan. As with that first mission, Rocket Lab worked closely with JAXA on “Kakushin Rising” to ensure the mission requirements for each satellite were met with precision and efficiency, reaffirming Electron's reputation for reliability and mission success.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, said: “Two successful missions in a matter of months, deployed precisely where they needed to be on orbit, shows exactly why Electron is the preferred small launcher for national space agencies. JAXA is a world leader in space and it's been an honor to be trusted with these back-to-back missions growing Japan’s aerospace economy.”

“Kakushin Rising” was Rocket Lab’s 8th launch of the year and 87th launch overall. Upcoming launches in 2026 include missions for commercial Earth observation, new space technology demonstrations on orbit, and national security and defense.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/2048880312965591170
View: https://x.com/RocketLab/status/2048880312965591170


Rocket Lab
@RocketLab
·
Separation systems are a critical part of a launch vehicle. They’re complex mechanisms that have to be strong enough to withstand the rigor of launch, then release cleanly at a precise moment in flight to enable Stage 2 to continue to orbit and Stage 1 to return to Earth.

Stage separation tests are underway with test articles of Neutron’s Stage 2 and upper module. It's one of hundreds of tests we're conducting to ensure we bring a robust and reliable vehicle to market.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/2046787404552659363
View: https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/2046787404552659363


Rocket Lab
@RocketLab
·
Traditional rocket fairings fall away as part of the launch process, making them either expendable or requiring recovery assets to capture and reuse them. Neutron rethinks this equation with the Hungry Hippo fairing.

It stays attached to Neutron’s first stage, opening to release stage two and the payload during launch, before closing up and landing as complete unit with stage one, ready to launch again. It's all part of driving down launch cost and increasing launch cadence to give constellations better access to orbit.
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Forest Green said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2046787404552659363
View: https://x.com/RocketLab/status/2046787404552659363?s=20
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Some advances to help with that:
https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ultralight-carbon-fiber-lattices-aluminum.html
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-thinner-hair-stretchable-rubber-shield.html
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-carbon-nanotubes-gap-copper.html
https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news3/newsid=69375.php
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949944525000139?via=ihub
https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-programmable-3d-filaments-mimic-artificial.html

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-room-temperature-vibrations-industry-graphene.html

For wiring
https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-copper-biggest-rival-carbon-nanotube.html
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aeb0673

For engines
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-plasma-spray-technique-tungstencopper-coatings.html

Perhaps RCC can be incorporated/sewn with these other advances...

Core cracked
https://www.reddit.com/r/RKLB/comments/1tkn39q/potential_neutron_interstage_failure_giant_crack
View: https://www.reddit.com/r/RKLB/comments/1tkn39q/potential_neutron_interstage_failure_giant_crack/
 
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I wonder if we'll see the Neutron being launched from Mahia peninsula? It would no doubt need a new launch-pad given the size of the rocket.
 
What an exciting day at Wallops Island.

The Antonov AN-124 came in from the south this morning, touching down at NASA Wallops Flight Facility at around 10:10 AM. No photo does that aircraft justice — it has to be seen in person to truly appreciate the scale.

It taxied to the end of the runway and was unloaded incredibly fast. By the time we packed up and went to grab lunch down the road, it was already back in the air. Total ground time: roughly two and a half hours. Rocket Lab moved fast today.

Right after lunch we swung by the AIC — Rocket Lab's Assembly and Integration Complex — and sure enough, they were already loading the PAF (Payload Attach Fitting / Payload Adapter) into the gray building at the Neutron complex.

The other containers offloaded from the AN-124 remain a mystery — we never did see where those went.

Watching to see if Rocket Lab issues any media briefings soon. Also put together a short video from about 250 still photos taken during the landing this morning — excuse a little jitter, but it captures just how quickly things moved today.

Landing
4K Video here:

View: https://youtu.be/yNiVlk3xkEw


Rollout
4K Video here:

View: https://youtu.be/7wDJbRBLKLI


@NASASpaceflight
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https://twitter.com/x/status/2055006996726956328
View: https://twitter.com/EShoreSpaceflt/status/2055006996726956328
 
One Mars spacecraft, two senators, and a cloud of questions

NASA released a much-anticipated contract solicitation for a Mars-orbiting spacecraft late last week, kicking off what is sure to be a hotly contested and potentially controversial procurement.

At issue is $700 million, already appropriated by Congress, to build a spacecraft, launch it to Mars, and once there to serve as a vehicle to relay communications between the red planet and Earth. But the stakes may be even bigger than this, including the possible resurrection of the recently canceled Mars Sample Return mission.
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Sloop Gut Dredging in Action — Clearing the Way for Neutron at Wallops

Jun 3, 2026
A follow-up to yesterday's report on the Sloop Gut dredging at Wallops Island, Virginia — this time with the operation caught in action.

In this update you'll see the dredge working the Sloop Gut channel toward the NASA North dock, pulling wet sediment from the bottom. At the transfer area, a long-reach excavator loads the dredged material into a bin, where it's transferred into dump trucks and hauled out to the Virginia Spaceport Authority upland farmland to dewater. Out on the farmland, the gray dredge spoil is already spread across the field.

Salmons Incorporated is the contractor on this project, operating under permit NAO-2024-02948 / VMRC #25-0521, running May 4 through October 31, 2026.

Why it matters: Sloop Gut's shallow, tide-dependent access has long been cited as a logistical challenge for moving large hardware onto Wallops Island by barge. A properly dredged channel means reliable, tide-independent barge access — exactly what Rocket Lab needs to move Neutron hardware onto the island.
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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SRpQ9TPU30
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/2066519913951281275
View: https://twitter.com/SpaceSector001/status/2066519913951281275


$RKLB
CEO, sir Peter Beck on a variety of issues relating to space economy, after the SpaceX IPO points out Rocket Lab came form a tiny place at the bottom of NZ - “a scrappy company” in terms of putting the pieces together, & being really great with their capital.

While they’re second to SpaceX in launches, the rest of the company is not really competition at all. 2/3 of rocket lab $ comes from there space systems business, providing components on a volume scale for huge contacts and companies and building space craft, satellites, solar, optical, and now robotics as well.
It’s a good time to get invested.
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A lot of curiosity about Rocket Lab's most recent HASTE launch carrying the mission name "Curveball." It launched from Wallops Island on June 11, 2026.
HKzpoPxXIAA7gVQ


Gizmodo - Did Rocket Lab’s Suborbital Rocket Reach Orbit?
The company's suborbital vehicle launched on a secret government mission, named Curveball.
by Passant Rabie, Published 16-June-2026
Update, June 17, 8:12 a.m. ET: After publication, Rocket Lab provided Gizmodo with the following statement: “Rocket Lab has never placed any object into orbit unintentionally.” The company did not provide additional details about the mission or the object tracked in orbit.

Rocket Lab’s latest mission, named Curveball, has earned its title. The company launched a mysterious payload on its suborbital rocket, and it somehow ended up in orbit.

On June 11, Rocket Lab’s HASTE vehicle lifted off from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on a government mission. HASTE, short for Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron, is a modified version of the company’s Electron rocket that’s designed to fly at hypersonic speeds up to five times the speed of sound. Another important distinction is that HASTE is a suborbital launch vehicle that has flown seven times without reaching low-Earth orbit.

A few days after its latest launch, however, the U.S. Space Force spotted the rocket in orbit. It’s not clear how HASTE ended up there, or what happened to its payload.
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*** FULL STORY LINKED AT TITLE ***
Here are the two X postings by Jonathan McDowell cited in the above referenced article:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2065924889001811992
View: https://x.com/planet4589/status/2065924889001811992

https://twitter.com/x/status/2066468234790883576
View: https://x.com/planet4589/status/2066468234790883576
 
Boxman said:
Looks like Rocket Lab did launch from LC-1 in Mahia without anyone outside the "circle of trust" seeing or hearing anything. As per Jonathan McDowell, "Unannounced LAUNCH at about 1020 UTC Jun 19 by Electron from Mahia of the US Space Force mission VICTUS HAZE Puma, to a 347 x 461 km x 97.5 deg, 2241LTDN sun-sync orbit." An X posting by "Lukas C.H." adds, "2026-142A has been identified by Space-Track as 'VICTUS HAZE PUMA', and Electron's second stage has been cataloged as well."

Incredible and impressive.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2068417784195784920
View: https://x.com/planet4589/status/2068417784195784920

https://twitter.com/x/status/2068391495585944014
View: https://x.com/GewoonLukas_/status/2068391495585944014
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https://twitter.com/x/status/2068407190868652392
View: https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/2068407190868652392

Unannounced LAUNCH at about 1020 UTC Jun 19 by Electron from Mahia of the US Space Force mission VICTUS HAZE Puma, to a 347 x 461 km x 97.5 deg, 2241LTDN sun-sync orbit.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/2068391495585944014
View: https://twitter.com/gewoonlukas_/status/2068391495585944014

AND WE HAVE CONFIRMATION THAT ROCKET LAB DID LAUNCH VICTUS HAZE!

2026-142A has been identified by Space-Track as "VICTUS HAZE PUMA", and Electron's second stage has been cataloged as well.
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