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.

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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.
 

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