Rocket Lab has announced that it has signed a deal with BlackSky to launch nine of the latter’s satellites across five Electron missions after the successful launch of a BlackSky satellite by Rocket Lab earlier this week. The satellites will be taken into low Earth orbit where they will help deliver real-time geospatial intelligence and global monitoring services.
Commenting on the deal, Rocket Lab Founder and CEO Peter Beck said:
“We’re thrilled to be providing dedicated and reliable access to orbit for Spaceflight and its customer BlackSky. Electron puts our customers in control of their launch schedule and orbital deployment parameters, giving them more certainty in crucial business growth phases. By securing streamlined space access on Electron, BlackSky can focus on what matters most to their mission – providing real-time, actionable data to decision makers on the ground when they need it most.”
According to the announcement, this deal is the largest number of satellites that BlackSky has committed to a single launch provider. Under the arrangement, eight of BlackSky’s 130kg satellites will be launched on four missions throughout the year and will demonstrate Rocket Lab’s responsive launch capability. The agreement also includes options for two additional launches in the fourth quarter.
The year is shaping up to be an important one for Rocket Lab. At the start of the month, it announced a merger with Vector Acquisition Corporation which will see the firm become a publicly-traded company and appear as RKLB on the Nasdaq. This year, the company also has a launch lined up for the U.S. Space Force and it will be sending a mission to the Moon for NASA.
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