Rocket Lab achieved a remarkable feat on June 26th, launching a set of satellites for HawkEye 360 from its New Zealand launch site. An Electron rocket successfully deployed three Cluster 12 satellites, expanding HawkEye 360's radio-frequency intelligence data collection capabilities. These satellites are unique, operating in a dawn/dusk sun-synchronous orbit—a strategic move to enhance data coverage.
“By extending coverage through a new orbital plane, this launch reflects our continued leadership in innovation and strategic growth,” stated Patrick Zeitouni, chief strategy officer at HawkEye 360. The mission, creatively dubbed "Get The Hawk Outta Here," showcased Rocket Lab's operational agility.
This launch followed a rescheduling from an earlier mission, “Symphony In The Stars,” which faced delays due to high winds and further checkouts. The quick turnaround to launch the HawkEye 360 mission highlights Rocket Lab's commitment to a higher launch cadence.
The "responsive reschedule," as Rocket Lab described it, demonstrated the company's operational efficiency. This was the ninth Electron mission this year, showcasing the company's growing capabilities. “Symphony In The Stars,” now scheduled for June 28th, will deploy a single satellite for an undisclosed customer into a 650-kilometer orbit.
Speculation points to EchoStar as a potential customer, given similarities between a mission patch illustration and EchoStar's Lyra smallsat design. EchoStar's plans for a Lyra constellation to provide Internet of Things services align with this hypothesis.
The extremely short turnaround between launches is noteworthy. “With our next mission set to launch in less than 48 hours— the fastest we’ve ever scheduled back-to-back missions from the same launch site — I’m proud of the team for continuing to deliver the high-cadence, responsive launch that our customers rely on,” said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's chief executive.