Rocket Lab Launches First Gen-3 Earth-Imaging Satellite for BlackSky

LONG BURN, NEW ZEALAND — Rocket Lab successfully launched its first Gen-3 Earth-imaging satellite for BlackSky on Feb. 18, 2025, at 6:17 p.m. EST (2317 GMT). The Electron rocket lifted off from the company’s New Zealand launch site, marking a notable achievement in the realm of geospatial intelligence.

If all goes as planned, the Electron rocket will deploy the satellite into a circular orbit approximately 292 miles (470 kilometers) above Earth about 55.5 minutes after liftoff.

The mission, playfully dubbed “Fasten Your Space Belts,” is Rocket Lab’s ninth launch for BlackSky since 2019. In a prelaunch statement, Rocket Lab noted, “This mission will introduce their newest 35 cm high-resolution Gen-3 satellites to orbit, allowing them to greatly enhance and optimize their geospatial intelligence capabilities.”

This launch is part of a busy year for Rocket Lab, which has already executed two missions in 2025. In 2024, the company conducted a total of 16 launches, including 14 with the Electron rocket and two using a modified suborbital version designed for hypersonic technology tests.

<p"Fasten Your Space Belts" highlighted a momentous evening in space exploration as it coincided with the launch of another batch of satellites by Starlink, which took place just four minutes later at 6:21 p.m. EST (2321 GMT).

Rocket Lab has established itself as a key player in the burgeoning satellite launch industry, offering frequent and reliable access to space for small satellites. Each of the company’s missions contributes to the rapid advancements in global satellite technology, enabling various applications from Earth observation to communication.

As Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket continues to deliver payloads to space successfully, industry analysts are closely watching the potential impacts of the enhanced capabilities brought by BlackSky’s Gen-3 satellites on numerous sectors, including agriculture, environmental monitoring, and disaster response.