The mission, named “Live, Laugh, Launch”, is scheduled to lift-off no earlier than 23 August (UTC) from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. It will carry five satellites into a 655-kilometre circular orbit for a confidential commercial customer.
This will be Rocket Lab’s 12th Electron mission in 2025 alone, reinforcing its position as the world’s most frequently flown small-lift orbital rocket. The company said the launch demonstrates its ability to deliver responsive and reliable access to space for customers with diverse requirements.
The milestone comes just days before Rocket Lab officially opens Launch Complex 3 in Virginia, which will host flights of the Neutron rocket. Unlike Electron, which is optimised for small satellites, Neutron is a medium-lift, reusable rocket designed to compete in a different segment of the commercial launch market.
Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and chief executive, said the Electron program’s consistency has been key to the company’s growth. “Seventy missions is a significant milestone for Electron and for the SmallSat industry more broadly. It shows that responsive and repeatable access to orbit is no longer aspirational, it’s a proven capability,” he said.
Electron’s 2025 manifest includes a mix of government, commercial and research missions, with Rocket Lab continuing to set cadence records in the sector. The company has also been expanding its satellite systems business, providing not just launch services but also spacecraft design and operations.
The “Live, Laugh, Launch” flight is the second of two back-to-back dedicated missions for the same undisclosed customer. Both flights have focused on deploying satellites to support the customer’s growing constellation in low-Earth orbit.
As Rocket Lab looks ahead to the debut of Neutron in the United States, its Electron vehicle remains the backbone of its operations, with the company signalling it expects demand for small satellite launches to remain strong.