Rocket Lab further cemented its leading position in the small launch sector with the successful February 8th launch of a fourth set of satellites for Kinéis, a French company building an Internet of Things (IoT) constellation. The Electron rocket, launching from Launch Complex 1, Pad A, deployed five satellites into orbits with a planned altitude of 646 kilometers and an inclination of 97 degrees. This mission marks the fourth of five planned launches for Kinéis under a contract signed in 2021.
This launch follows previous successful missions in June, September, and November 2024. Kinéis aims to have its full constellation operational by mid-2025, with initial services, including IoT communications and Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking, potentially starting in early 2025 using the first 10 satellites. While the company hasn’t issued updates since last fall, a leadership change was announced in December with Alexandre Tisserant stepping down as CEO. Christophe Vassal, chair of the supervisory board, is temporarily leading the company.
“I am proud to leave Kinéis after many exciting years filled with collective success and ambitious projects,” Tisserant said in a statement. “I am confident that the company is now solidly positioned to continue its growth and development.”
For Rocket Lab, this was the first launch of 2025, following a busy 2024 that saw 16 Electron launches, including two of the HASTE suborbital variant. The company projects exceeding this number in 2025, maintaining its market leadership amidst challenges faced by competitors. Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO, highlighted this success at the Smallsat Symposium.
“Our view is that small launch is well and truly being solved,” he said. “Electron has been very successful there.” Beck emphasized Electron’s niche in providing dedicated launches for customers willing to pay a premium over rideshare options. “Most people thought that would be the end of small launch,” he said, referring to rideshares. “But, in fact, it wasn’t at all. Small launch has continued to grow and grow, and every year we sign more and more deals and do more and more launches.”
This growth is exemplified by a recent contract with iQPS for four Electron launches of radar imaging satellites, scheduled for 2025 and 2026. Beck noted Electron's suitability for deploying constellations, requiring “spacecraft being deployed to precise orbits on tailored timelines to maximize the data collection or service provision” of the overall constellation. “This is the unique and reliable service that dedicated launch on Electron delivers.”
Beck also addressed the emergence of “super heavy” rockets like SpaceX’s Starship. “They’re great for particular purposes but they don’t solve every problem,” he said, comparing it to the continued success of smaller aircraft despite the existence of large passenger jets. “Super heavies are going to be amazing for interplanetary and a whole bunch of cool stuff,” he concluded, “but I don’t subscribe to the view that they destroy all launch.”