Rocket LabElectronRocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9)
Launched
May 22, 2026 · 09:33 UTC
Image: Rocket Lab
Summary
Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9) launched on a Rocket Lab Electron from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand on May 22, 2026 at 09:33 UTC. The launch window ran from 09:30 to 10:30 UTC. It was Rocket Lab's 88th launch, 9th this year and humanity's 7,290th orbital launch attempt. It was the 88th Electron flight and the 9th this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Strix-7, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 550 × 587 km orbit inclined 44.9°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- Rocket Lab - 'Viva La StriX' LaunchRocket Lab
- Vehicle
- Electron · Rocket Lab
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)for Synspective
- Milestone
- 88th Electron flight · 9th this yearRocket Lab's 88th launch9th this yearhumanity's 7,290th orbital launch attempt117th orbital launch attempt this year
Webcast
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Strix-7 · NORAD 69177 · 2026-112 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- STRIX-7
- Object ID
- 2026-112A
- Epoch
- 2026-05-22 19:42:37 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.01794608 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.00271235
- Inclination
- 44.9091°
- Ascending node
- 325.6494°
- Arg. of perigee
- 267.7288°
- Mean anomaly
- 92.0478°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 6
- B*
- 0.000029926699
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.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 1 payload, 2 rocket stages; 2 still in orbit
- Strix-7 · NORAD 69177 · in orbit
Electron 88 Kick Stage · in orbit
Electron 88 Stage 2 · re-entered June 7, 2026
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Pad
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
36th launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, 2nd this year · 76th from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Local pad time at liftoff: May 22, 9:33 PM GMT+12, at night
41 launches from this pad · 84 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
62 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.
Show 9 earlier updates
Spacecraft separation.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/22/2026 · source
Liftoff!
hitura-nobad · 5/22/2026 · source
1h launch window
hitura-nobad · 5/22/2026 · source
Official Webcast by Rocket Lab has started
LL2 · 5/22/2026 · source
Updated launch site.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/21/2026 · source
GO for launch.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/30/2026 · source
NET May 22.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/30/2026 · source
NET May.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/27/2026 · source
Adding launch TBD 2025-2027
Nosu · 6/18/2024 · source
Questions
When did Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9) launch?
Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9) launched on May 22, 2026 at 09:33 UTC. The launch window ran from 09:30 to 10:30 UTC.
Where can I watch Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9)?
Coverage: Rocket Lab - 'Viva La StriX' Launch. Watch the replay
What rocket launched Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9)?
Electron, flown by Rocket Lab. Electron spec sheet
Where did Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9) launch from?
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. Liftoff was May 22, 9:33 PM GMT+12 local time at the pad.
What orbit did Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9) reach?
Strix-7, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 550 × 587 km orbit inclined 44.9°.
How many satellites did Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9) launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).