
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Rocket Lab launched a satellite for a mystery customer on Thursday morning (Nov. 20).
The liftoff, which occurred at 7:43 a.m. EST (1243 GMT) from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site, came as something of a surprise. The company formally announced the impending launch of its workhorse Electron rocket less than five hours ahead of time.
The mission, called "Follow My Speed" was a complete success, Rocket Lab announced via X on Thursday morning.
"Today's 'Follow My Speed' mission marks 18 launches with 100% mission success for 2025 — more than any other year in Electron's history — making our rocket the most frequently flown orbital small launch vehicle in the world," the company said in another Thursday X post.
Fifteen of those 18 launches have been orbital missions. The other three were suborbital flights involving HASTE, a modified version of the 59-foot-tall (18-meter-tall) Electron that allows customers to test hypersonic technologies in the space environment.
We don't know much about "Follow My Speed."
Rocket Lab described the mission in vague terms only, saying that its goal was "to deploy a single satellite for a confidential commercial customer."
Keeping things so close to the vest isn't exactly odd for launch companies, who regularly loft national-security payloads or commercial satellites with sensitive, proprietary tech. Rocket Lab, for example, launched five satellites for a confidential customer just three months ago.
NEUESTE BEITRÄGE
- 1
Exploiting Unsold Rams: May Be Less expensive Than You Suspect06.11.2023 - 2
The Most Famous Virtual Entertainment Powerhouses of the Year07.07.2023 - 3
Rescuers give up hope for the humpback whale stranded in the Baltic Sea01.04.2026 - 4
The Force of Mentorship: Self-improvement through Direction22.09.2023 - 5
Private sector revives the climate disaster database Trump tried to squash08.01.2026
Ähnliche Artikel
Merck sees over $5 billion opportunity in Cidara's experimental flu drug17.11.2025
Plane Passenger Allegedly Includes ‘Bomb Threat’ in Hotspot Network Name, Forces Flight to Make Emergency Landing15.01.2026
The Rhythms of the Street: Shipping's Tune in the Economy's Symphony07.11.2023
Step by step instructions to Contrast Lab Jewels and Regular Ones17.10.2023
Innovative Versatility: Examples of overcoming adversity from Entrepreneurs05.06.2024
Bomb blast in packed Nigerian mosque kills five24.12.2025
When the moon hits your eye from your Orion ship up high, that's a 'mare'05.04.2026
Fireballs and a full moon. Here’s how to see two celestial events this week05.11.2025
Cuba says 33 have died of mosquito-borne illnesses as epidemic rages01.12.2025
The Oscars are moving from ABC to YouTube starting in 202917.12.2025













