Rocket Lab Schedules Two Launches Three Days Apart, Upcoming Mission to Deploy Final Satellites in Kinéis Constellation

Rhea-AI Summary

Rocket Lab (RKLB) has announced two upcoming Electron rocket launches scheduled just three days apart from its New Zealand launch site - a first for the company. The first launch is set for March 15th NZDT for iQPS, followed by the 'High Five' mission for Kinéis on March 18th NZDT.

The 'High Five' mission represents the final launch in a five-launch series for Kinéis, a French Internet-of-Things (IoT) connectivity provider. This mission will complete the deployment of Kinéis's entire 25-satellite IoT constellation, accomplished in less than a year. The previous four launches were successfully completed between June 2024 and February 2025.

This upcoming launch marks Rocket Lab's 62nd Electron launch overall and fourth launch of 2025, demonstrating the company's capability to provide dedicated launch services with precise orbital deployment on customer schedules.

Positive

• First-ever achievement of launching two rockets within three days, demonstrating operational efficiency
• Successful execution of major multi-launch contract with Kinéis
• Demonstrates capability to deploy entire customer constellation within one year
• Maintains strong launch cadence with 4th launch of 2025 already scheduled

Negative

• None.

Insights

Financial Analyst

Rocket Lab's announcement of two launches within three days demonstrates a significant operational milestone that enhances the company's competitive positioning in the small satellite launch market. The ability to execute launches with such short turnaround indicates improved operational efficiency and launch site readiness—crucial factors for maintaining leadership in the competitive space launch industry.

Completing the Kinéis constellation deployment represents successful execution of a multi-launch contract, with all 25 IoT satellites being deployed in under one year. This showcases Rocket Lab's capability to deliver on schedule-sensitive customer requirements, a critical selling point for potential constellation customers who need precise deployment timelines.

This accelerated launch cadence directly impacts Rocket Lab's business fundamentals by potentially increasing launch throughput without requiring additional launch infrastructure. Each successful mission strengthens the company's track record, particularly important for capturing additional constellation deployment contracts where reliability and schedule adherence command premium pricing.

The capability to conduct rapid sequential launches positions Rocket Lab advantageously against competitors still struggling with launch frequency limitations. For investors, this operational milestone represents execution on core business competencies that directly tie to revenue generation potential and facility utilization rates—both key drivers of margin improvement in the launch services sector.

The launch for Kinéis is the fifth in a series of five dedicated Electron launches for the French Internet-of-Things constellation operator, and will put Rocket Lab on track to deploy the entire constellation in less than a year

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rocket Lab USA, Inc (“Rocket Lab” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: RKLB), a leading launch provider and space systems company, today announced it has scheduled two Electron launches from its privately owned launch site in New Zealand three days apart, a first for the Company.

Rocket Lab will launch its next Electron rocket no earlier than March 15^th NZDT for its customer iQPS, followed three days later by its latest launch for Kinéis, a global Internet-of-Things (IoT) connectivity provider, during a launch window that opens on March 18^th NZDT.

The “High Five” mission for Kinéis is the fifth of five dedicated Electron launches in a multi-launch contract with the company that will see Rocket Lab deploy an entire constellation of 25 IoT satellites in less than a year. The first four missions were successfully launched by Electron in June, September, November 2024, and February 2025. The “High Five” launch will be Rocket Lab’s 62^nd Electron launch overall and fourth launch of 2025.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, says: “An entire constellation deployed to precise orbits on the customers’ schedule in less than a year – that’s the value that dedicated launch on Electron delivers to our customers. Doing so back-to-back with another mission from the same launch site only days prior even further attests to Electron’s industry leadership for satellite operators globally. We’re proud to be teaming up with Kinéis once again to bring their IoT constellation to life in short order.”

"This fifth launch with Rocket Lab will mark a major milestone for Kinéis: the completion of our constellation deployment in less than a year. I commend the commitment and professionalism of the Kinéis teams, Rocket Lab, and all our partners – a tremendous challenge successfully achieved together!" Michel Sarthou, Kinéis Chief Technology Officer.

• Mission Name: High Five
• Customer: Kinéis
• Launch Window: Opens March 18 at 14:31 NZDT
• Launch Site: Launch Complex 1, New Zealand
• Live launch broadcast: Live from around T-20 minutes on launch day www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream
• Images and video: www.flickr.com/photos/rocketlab

About Rocket Lab:

Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, a family of flight proven spacecraft, and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered more than 200 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s family of spacecraft have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia.

About Kinéis:

Created in 2018, Kinéis is a satellite operator and global connectivity provider. It inherited 40 years of expertise in the Argos system, founded by CNES (French space agency) and historically operated by CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites). Its mission is to develop reliable technology that provides easy access to useful satellite data. To make life easier for professionals and encourage them to use its products and services, Kinéis locates and connects objects wherever they are on the planet. Thanks to its technological innovation capabilities, Kinéis forges links between New Space and IoT and connects hundreds of customers with satellite IoT. On January 27, 2025, the French Government and the General Secretariat for Investment announced the winners of the France 2030 space call for projects. Kinéis is among the seven selected companies, reaffirming its position as a technological pioneer.

Thanks to its constellation of 25 nanosatellites, Kinéis can connect any object from anywhere in the world and transmit useful data from these objects to users in near real time. This data is a decision-making tool that can be used to optimize activities while reducing risks, thanks to three essential functions: tracking, monitoring and alerting.

Kinéis' space connectivity applications are used in a number of fields that represent major challenges for mankind, its activities and its environment today: natural risk prevention (detection of forest fires, floods, pollution, etc.), monitoring of infrastructures and energy networks (detection of anomalies, predictive maintenance, etc.), transport and logistics monitoring, agriculture, traceability of wild and farmed animals, and monitoring of commercial and leisure maritime activities.

The Kinéis constellation also integrates the AIS (Automatic Identification System), a maritime automatic identification system for ships operating on VHF (Very High Frequency) radio frequencies, which enables ships and surveillance systems to know the identity, position, direction and status of ships at sea.

Kinéis' satellite-based AIS (S-AIS) is a high-performance system (requiring no ground infrastructure) that complements terrestrial AIS, enabling ships to be monitored worldwide, even in international waters not accessible by terrestrial AIS.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our launch and space systems operations, launch schedule and window, safe and repeatable access to space, Neutron development, operational expansion and business strategy are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at www.rocketlabusa.com, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250310605839/en/

Rocket Lab Media Contact

Murielle Baker

media@rocketlabusa.com

Source: Rocket Lab USA, Inc

FAQ

When is Rocket Lab's (RKLB) next Electron rocket launch scheduled?

Rocket Lab's next Electron launch is scheduled for March 15th NZDT for iQPS, followed by another launch on March 18th NZDT for Kinéis.

How many satellites will Rocket Lab (RKLB) have deployed for Kinéis's constellation?

Through five dedicated launches, Rocket Lab will have deployed Kinéis's entire constellation of 25 IoT satellites in less than a year.

What is significant about Rocket Lab's (RKLB) upcoming launch schedule?

This marks the first time Rocket Lab will conduct two launches just three days apart from the same launch site in New Zealand.

How many Electron launches has Rocket Lab (RKLB) completed to date?

The upcoming 'High Five' mission will be Rocket Lab's 62nd Electron launch overall and fourth launch of 2025.