Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab agrees to acquire satellite operator Iridium

Acquirer

Iridium nearly vanished. In 2000, investors bought its satellite network out of bankruptcy for about $25 million. On June 29, 2026, Rocket Lab agreed to buy the same company for roughly $8 billion.

Updated Jun 29

Synspective builds out its all-weather radar satellite constellation

Built World

Sole launch provider for StriX

On June 17, 2026, a Rocket Lab Electron rocket lifted off from New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula carrying StriX-8, the latest radar satellite for Japan's Synspective. Each launch adds one more eye that can see the ground through clouds, smoke, and the dark.

Updated Jun 18

Rocket Lab closes a perfect 2025 by lofting iQPS’s QPS-SAR-15 — and locking in as its constellation workhorse

New Capabilities

Launch provider deploying iQPS satellites and pushing Electron into high-cadence constellation logistics

Rocket Lab ended 2025 with another success. On Dec. 21, Electron lifted off from Māhia and placed iQPS's QPS-SAR-15 into orbit, extending a run of repeat business that positions Rocket Lab as a default launcher for constellation operators.

Updated May 15

Manhole-cover satellites and a 5-month head start: Space Force’s DiskSat sprint signals “launch-on-demand” maturity

New Capabilities

Launched STP-S30 on Electron from Wallops Island (LC-2)

Rocket Lab just put four "DiskSats" into orbit for the U.S. Space Force—flat, plate-like spacecraft about the size of a manhole cover. The launch showed that the U.S. can move a new satellite design from paperwork to space faster than most people plan a product launch.