<\/p>\n SAR satellites can study Earth both night and day and peer through cloudy skies. Synspective is assembling a constellation of such spacecraft in low Earth orbit<\/a> (LEO), which it calls Strix, after a widespread genus of owls.<\/p>\n The Strix network “provides data for urban development planning, construction and infrastructure monitoring and disaster response” in Japan, Rocket Lab wrote in a mission description<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rocket Lab has been the sole launch provider for this constellation to date. Tonight’s mission was the 12th the company has performed to build the Strix network, with another 15 on the books in the future.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Electron delivered the single Strix satellite to LEO, 355 miles (572 kilometers) above Earth, about 53 minutes after liftoff as planned.<\/p>\n Electron launches for the 96th time and deploys the 12th StriX satellite to space for @synspective \ud83e\udd89\ud83d\udef0\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/ASjwvAGG6JSeptember 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Rocket Lab tends to give Synspective launches owl-themed names. Tonight’s mission, for example, was called “Owl by the Dozen.” It was Rocket Lab’s 17th launch of 2026 and 96th overall.<\/p>\n Most of these flights have been performed by the 59-foot-tall (18 meters) Electron, a two-stage vehicle that gives small satellites dedicated rides to the final frontier. But Rocket Lab also flies a suborbital version of Electron called HASTE,<\/a> which debuted in June 2023 and now has nine launches under its belt.<\/p>\n The company is also developing a more powerful, partially reusable orbital rocket called Neutron<\/a>, which could debut late this year or in early 2027.<\/p>\n Editor’s note: This story was updated at 2:10 a.m. ET on Sept. 19 with news of successful launch and satellite deployment.<\/p>\n![\"Space\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/dpnbewsyjn1783958986.svg\")
<\/p>\n