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Rocket LabElectronRocket Lab Launch Complex 1A, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Happily Ever Faster (BlackSky Gen-3 5)

Launched

September 11, 2026 · 03:28 UTC

Launch Successful
Happily Ever Faster Patch

Summary

Rocket Lab’s Electron successfully placed the fifth BlackSky Gen-3 high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite into orbit. The mission, Happily Ever Faster, adds to BlackSky’s constellation.

Watch
No webcast on record.
Vehicle
Electron · Rocket Lab
Booster
No booster details on record.
Mission
Earth Science · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)for BS
Milestone
95th Electron flight · 16th this yearRocket Lab's 95th launch16th this yearhumanity's 7,388th orbital launch attempt215th orbital launch attempt this year

Flight preview

Orbit: as tracked

499 × 514 km · 36.0°At launchearliest tracked set, 2026-09-11
36.0°Inclination
499 × 511 kmPerigee × apogeefrom mean elements
94.6 minPeriodfrom mean elements
130.8°Ascending node
6 d agoElement epoch2026-10-10 06:47 UTC

GEN-3 FM-6 · NORAD 100682 · 2026-207A · Space-Track

Show the numbers for orbit elements
Object
GLOBAL-36
Object ID
2026-207A
Epoch
2026-10-10 06:47:50 UTC
Mean motion
15.22615525 rev/day
Eccentricity
0.00089091
Inclination
36.0149°
Ascending node
130.801°
Arg. of perigee
181.7706°
Mean anomaly
178.2996°
Element set
999
Rev at epoch
444
B*
0.00022632443

Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.

About this launch

Happily Ever Faster (BlackSky Gen-3 5) launched on a Rocket Lab Electron from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand on September 11, 2026 at 03:28 UTC. The launch window ran from 01:00 to 03:28 UTC. It was Rocket Lab's 95th launch, 16th this year and humanity's 7,388th orbital launch attempt. It was the 95th Electron flight and the 16th this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). It reached a 499 × 514 km orbit inclined 36.0°.

Note: Payload and customer identities were not publicly announced. 5th of the BlackSky Gen-3 high resolution Earth-imaging satellites.

Official page: Happily Ever Faster

Pad

Map of Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

43rd launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A, 8th this year · 82nd from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Local pad time at liftoff: Sep 11, 3:28 PM GMT+12, in daylight

43 launches from this pad · 84 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

35 days after the previous launch from this pad

All launches from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New ZealandOpen in maps

Updates

Launch success.

Cosmic_Penguin · Sep 11, 2026 · source

Show 2 earlier updates

  • NET Q3.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 8/6/2026 · source

  • Adding launch NET 2024

    Nosu · 8/10/2023 · source

Questions

When did Happily Ever Faster (BlackSky Gen-3 5) launch?

Happily Ever Faster (BlackSky Gen-3 5) launched on September 11, 2026 at 03:28 UTC. The launch window ran from 01:00 to 03:28 UTC.

Where can I watch Happily Ever Faster (BlackSky Gen-3 5)?

No webcast is on record for this launch.

What rocket launched Happily Ever Faster (BlackSky Gen-3 5)?

Electron, flown by Rocket Lab. Electron spec sheet

Where did Happily Ever Faster (BlackSky Gen-3 5) launch from?

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. Liftoff was Sep 11, 3:28 PM GMT+12 local time at the pad.

What orbit did Happily Ever Faster (BlackSky Gen-3 5) reach?

It reached a 499 × 514 km orbit inclined 36.0°.