Rocket Lab launched its 97th Electron, its 18th launch this year.

Rocket Lab flew another Electron on Friday night.

So basically: Rocket Lab launched its 97th Electron rocket and put a radar satellite into orbit for the Japanese company Synspective. It was Rocket Lab’s 18th launch of 2026.

The launch

The mission was called “Owlright Owlright Owlright.” It lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, at 12:39 p.m. NZST on Sept. 26. That was 8:39 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 25.

Electron put the satellite directly into a 559 km low Earth orbit. This was a dedicated launch, so Synspective’s satellite was the only customer on board and went straight to the orbit it needed.

The customer

The payload was the 13th StriX satellite for Synspective. StriX satellites use synthetic aperture radar, which can image the ground day or night and through clouds.

Rocket Lab has launched all 13 StriX satellites so far, and says all 13 missions were successful. Rocket Lab says 14 more launches are scheduled to finish the rest of Synspective’s constellation by the end of the decade.

The numbers

• 97 Electron launches total
• 18 launches in 2026 so far
• 13 StriX satellites launched for Synspective
• 14 more Synspective launches on the books

Rocket Lab calls Electron the most frequently launched small rocket in the world. The company also flies HASTE, a suborbital version of Electron, and is developing Neutron, a larger reusable rocket. Launch is only part of the business. Rocket Lab also builds satellites and parts, and says its hardware has flown on more than 1,700 missions.

My take

One small satellite launch isn’t big news on its own. What matters is the repeat business. A single customer with 13 launches done and 14 more booked is steady revenue for Rocket Lab. The bigger story for the company is still Neutron. Until it flies, Electron is what keeps Rocket Lab launching.