The Owl’s Night Begins

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

10:09:00

Tuesday December 15, 2020

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

Read Article

Launch Notes

The StriX-α satellite was too large to fit in a conventional fairing, so Electron used a modified one on this flight, with 4 extensions on the sides.

StriX-α

Wiki

The StriX-α satellite is the first in Synspective’s planned StriX constellation designed to provide geospatial solutions. SAR satellites actively observe and acquire Earth surface information by transmitting and receiving reflected microwaves. Compared with optical satellites, which rely on sunlight reflection, SAR can capture images of the ground surface in all weather conditions and at any time of the day or night. Synspective is planning a constellation of 25 satellites called StriX, comprised of 100-kilogram satellites capable of imaging at a resolution of one to three meters. By 2022 the company plans to have six satellites in orbit. The company has not set a date by which it hopes to achieve 25 satellites.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

1 Payload

150 kilograms

Rocket

Active
Electron/Curie

Active Since 2018


Price

$7.50 million

Rocket

Height: 18m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 320 kg

Liftoff Thrust

224 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 1.2m

Height: 4.05m

Stages

3

Launch Site

Rocket Lab LC-1A

Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand

Fastest Turnaround

15 days 1 hour

Stats

Electron


17th

Mission

7th

Mission of 2020

Rocket Lab


17th

Mission

7th

Mission of 2020

2020


107th

Orbital launch attempt