US Rocket Lab launches Japanese radar-imaging satellite into orbit

New Delhi : American aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider Rocket Lab on Tuesday carried a commercial radar-imaging satellite by Japanese company Synspective into the low Earth orbit.

The 'Owl Night Long' mission carrying Synspective’s StriX-3 satellite lifted off at 11.03 EDT (8.33 p.m. IST) from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, the company said. "Lift-off for ‘Owl Night Long', our 45th Electron mission!" Rocket Lab wrote in a post on X.

Tokyo-based Synspective is a satellite data solutions provider. The StriX-3 satellites, named after owls, were launched aboard Rocket Lab's Electron rocket.

It is part of Synspective’s constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites that come with a foldable antenna, increased power, and advanced thermal control. Even with reduced size, the SAR satellites could achieve imaging capabilities that are comparable to large SAR satellites.

The 'Owl Night Long' mission is Rocket Lab’s fourth launch for the constellation operator following launches in 2020 and 2022, the company said.