TOKYO – Synspective Inc., a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite data and analytic solutions provider, announced today the official launch schedule of the fifth StriX, the company’s SAR satellite.
■Scheduled Date of Launch
The fifth StriX mission is scheduled to launch during a 14-day window that opens on July 30 (UTC). The launch may be postponed or cancelled due to unforeseen weather conditions or complications.
For the latest information, please visit Rocket Lab’s next Mission Page.
URL:https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/
■Launch Vehicle / Location
The mission is scheduled for lift-off from Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle at the Rocket Lab Launch Complex on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand.
■About Launch Mission
Our fifth satellite performs better than its previous satellite and will operate in an inclined orbit. The new satellite will enable us to capture high-resolution images of densely populated areas in high-demand, low- to mid-latitude regions.
Until the launch of our new StriX, the satellite’s imaging direction was limited to a single direction, resulting in an invisible area caused by the relationship between the satellite’s imaging direction and angle and the slope of the land area. However, combining the satellites in an inclined and sun-synchronous orbit will enable observation from four directions (east, west, north, and south), allowing us to receive clear images.
■Comments
Dr. Motoyuki Arai, Synspective Founder and CEO
“We are pleased to be working with Rocket Lab on our fifth satellite launch and would like to thank the dedicated team from both companies and everyone involved in the project who have worked together to make this five-satellite streak a success. Last month, we announced an agreement with Rocket Lab for 10 launches between 2025 and 2027. This agreement allows us to accelerate building the SAR satellite constellation. We have also begun operating the SAR satellite mass production site in Japan, leading us to launch satellites with higher frequency. Within this generation, we will continue to create a new system for humanity to understand the Earth system and achieve resilient economic development.”
Toshihiro Obata, Synspective Board Director and Head of Technology Strategy Office
“This launch marks our fifth satellite and the first of the third generation of our company’s satellites. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all those involved in developing and operating this satellite. This highly reliable satellite is based on the same concept as the second-generation satellites currently in orbit. The upgraded synthetic aperture radar sensor will provide images with even higher resolution and wide-area imaging, a testament to our commitment to meeting our customers’ needs. For the first time, the satellite will be injected into an inclined orbit to enable high-frequency imaging and imaging from multiple directions, further enhancing our ability to provide images that our customers need more than ever before. Furthermore, we conducted this launch only five months after the previous one. By leveraging the production capacity of our new mass production site, which is scheduled to start operations soon, we will demonstrate that the constellation maintenance phase is in full swing by showcasing our launch capability within this short timeframe.”
■ 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 accessing space faster, easier, and more affordable. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, a family of flight-proven spacecraft. The company is developing a 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 at a private orbital launch site in New Zealand and a third in Virginia. To learn more, visit https://www.rocketlabusa.com/.
■ About Synspective Inc.
Synspective Inc., founded in 2018, develops and operates Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites and provides SAR data and analytics solutions. We aim to develop a constellation of 30 SAR satellites by the late 2020s, allowing us to create a new system that can observe changes anywhere on Earth. With a SAR satellite constellation that enables high-frequency and high-resolution Earth observation, Synspective delivers satellite data and various analytics solutions for disaster response and management, national security, and environmental monitoring. To learn more, visit https://synspective.com/.
