Synspective on Rocket Lab Electron rocket / Supplied
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space
systems, today announced it has signed the largest Electron launch agreement in the Company’s history; a ten-launch deal
with Japanese Earth observation company Synspective. The agreement was announced in Tokyo at an event attended by Rocket
Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck, Synspective founder and CEO Dr. Motoyuki Arai and New Zealand Prime Minister, the
Right Honorable Christopher Luxon, who is in Japan with a business delegation to deepen ties and accelerate growth in
technology and other sectors.
“We are honored that the Synspective team has once again entrusted Rocket Lab with the deployment of their constellation
and we’re proud to be their launch partner for another ten missions, our largest launch agreement to date”
Post this Rocket Lab has been the sole launch provider for Synspective since 2020, successfully launching four missions
for the Japanese Earth observation company to date.
Rocket Lab has been launching for Synspective since 2020 when the Company deployed the first satellite in Synspective’s
synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation, which is designed to deliver imagery that can detect millimetre-level
changes to the Earth’s surface from space. Since that first mission, Rocket Lab has been the sole launch provider for
Synspective’s StriX constellation to date, successfully deploying four StriX satellites across four dedicated Electron
launches. In addition to the 10 new dedicated launches signed today, another two launches for Synspective have already
been booked and are scheduled for launch this year from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The launches in the new deal
will take place across 2025 – 2027.
By launching as the sole payload on Electron, Synspective has control over the launch schedule as well as the precise
deployment parameters for each satellite, enabling them to build their constellation out on their terms and maximize the
coverage they can provide to their end customers.
“We are honored that the Synspective team has once again entrusted Rocket Lab with the deployment of their constellation
and we’re proud to be their launch partner for another ten missions, our largest launch agreement to date,” said Rocket
Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck. “Japan’s space industry is one of the fastest growing globally and we’re excited to
be enabling this growth through the unique collaboration of a U.S. rocket and a New Zealand launch site, delivering an
unprecedented level of tailored access to orbit for Japanese small satellites.”
Synspective founder and CEO, Dr. Motoyuki Arai, said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Rocket Lab to
launch 10 new satellites. This agreement gives us a solid foundation and confidence, as Rocket Lab is an innovative
launch provider. We look to accelerate building our satellite constellation and expand our services in the future. We
appreciate Rocket Lab's significant role in moving our business forward. We will continue to build an analytics platform
that enables visualization and analysis of global environmental and economic activities, starting with constructing a
SAR satellite constellation. These efforts will help make human activities sustainable for our generation and address
the challenges of a changing global environment and depleting resources.”
Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, said: “New Zealand innovation in space technology is rapidly
putting our country on the map in this fast-growing industry. I am very pleased to witness the signing of this
significant contract during my first visit to Japan as Prime Minister – it is a clear demonstration of the many
opportunities to grow trade and prosperity between our two nations. Collaboration with international partners is
critical to enabling our space industry to maximise its potential on the global stage.”
About Synspective’s constellation: Synspective's small SAR satellites, StriX, are equipped with a synthetic aperture
radar (SAR) sensor, which can observe the Earth's surface in any weather condition day or night. Not affected by clouds
or rain, SAR is suitable for persistent monitoring of disasters and detailed changes to secure critical infrastructure
and other facilities. Example use cases include;detecting anomalies in road, rail, energy and other infrastructure, resulting in lower maintenance costs and accident
risk,monitoring crop growth conditions and analyzing soil and vegetation health to help reduce costs and increase efficiency
for farmers,detecting illegal logging and fishing in the most remote parts of the world,providing rapid damage assessment after flooding, landslides and volcanic eruptions, as well as risk assessment for land
subsidence,enabling the persistent monitoring of maritime traffic, border activities and other potential security threats, and
advances maritime domain awareness,analyzing tree cover to calculate CO2 absorption and carbon credits.
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 flight proven spacecraft, 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 180+ 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 family of spacecraft 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.