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Rocket Lab launches private Earth-observing satellite to orbit (video)

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The "Full Stream Ahead" mission lifted off at 7:57 p.m. ET today (June 2).

overhead view of a black and white rocket launching from a pad surrounded by grassy fields
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launches the "Full Stream Ahead" mission for the company BlackSky from New Zealand on June 2, 2025. (Image credit: Rocket Lab)

Rocket Lab launched an Earth-observing satellite for the company BlackSky toward orbit tonight (June 2).

An Electron rocket lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site today at 7:57 p.m. EDT (0057 GMT or 11:57 a.m. local New Zealand time on June 3), carrying a "Gen-3" satellite for Virginia-based BlackSky toward low Earth orbit (LEO).

The mission, which Rocket Lab calls "Full Stream Ahead," delivered the spacecraft to a circular orbit 292 miles (470 kilometers) above Earth as planned, the company announced via X.

a black and white rocket rises into a clear blue sky

Electron rises into the New Zealand sky on the "Full Stream Ahead" mission on June 2, 2025. (Image credit: Rocket Lab)

The spacecraft now "will join the remainder of the company's constellation delivering very high-resolution imagery and AI-enabled analytics for daily intelligence operations," Rocket Lab wrote in a mission description.

"'Full Stream Ahead' is the second in a series of four Electron launches booked by BlackSky to deploy its Gen-3 satellites to orbit this year, and the 10th overall [Electron] launch for the company — making Electron the most prolific launcher for their constellation to date," Rocket Lab added.

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Tonight's launch was the seventh of 2025 and the 65th overall flight for the 59-foot-tall (18 meters) Electron, which gives small satellites dedicated rides to orbit.

Rocket Lab also flies a suborbital variant of Electron known as HASTE, which serves as a testbed for hypersonic technologies. The company is also developing a larger, more powerful orbital rocket called Neutron, which is designed to be partially reusable. Neutron is expected to debut later this year.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 8:10 p.m. ET on June 2 with news that Electron had lifted off, then again at 2:45 a.m. ET on June 3 with news of successful satellite deployment.

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Mike Wall
Mike Wall
Senior Space Writer

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

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