Follow My Speed
Follow My Speed was a Rocket Lab Electron mission for BlackSky that launched successfully at 12:43 UTC on 20 November 2025 (1:43 a.m. NZDT on 21 November; 7:43 a.m. EST on 20 November) from Launch Complex 1A on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.
12:43 UTC on 20 November 2025 · 1:43 a.m. NZDT on 21 November · 7:43 a.m. EST on 20 November
Disclaimer: This livestream is from a third-party channel and is not an official Rocket Lab broadcast.
Mission State
This mission currently has a dated launch window in the tracker.
The current watch link is from a third-party source rather than Rocket Lab directly.
Launch Updates
-
Launch success.
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: rocketlabcorp.com -
Spacecraft separation.
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: x.com -
Liftoff.
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: youtube.com
Updates via Launch Library 2 (The Space Devs).
Name Origin
References the ICAO standard military air intercept signal, where an intercepting aircraft signals another to match its speed. A fitting nod to BlackSky's geospatial intelligence role.
Mission Overview
3rd of the BlackSky Gen-3 high resolution Earth-imaging satellites.
Technical Details
55
kiwisLaunch data cross-checked against Wikipedia.
Was this a jellyfish launch?
UnlikelySun 29° below the horizon at liftoff — full night, the plume stays in Earth's shadow.
Details
- Unlikely
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Liftoff
- 1:43 a.m. NZDT · 12:43 UTC
- Astronomical dawn (−18°)
- 3:50 a.m. NZDT · 14:50 UTC
- Nautical dawn (−12°)
- 4:32 a.m. NZDT · 15:32 UTC
- Civil dawn (−6°)
- 5:10 a.m. NZDT · 16:10 UTC
- Sunrise
- 5:40 a.m. NZDT · 16:40 UTC
Twilight times at the pad (Mahia, NZ) for the morning of the launch.
What's a rocket jellyfish? When a rocket launches in twilight, the ground is dark but its exhaust plume climbs into sunlight high above. The expanding plume glows against the dark sky in a jellyfish-like shape.
Space-Object Catalog
| Object | Operator | Built by | Mass | Orbit | Status | NORAD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Global-33 2025-267A · Payload | Operator BlackSky Global | Built by LeoStella LLC (SFLIN/THALES) BSky | Mass 138 kg | Orbit 446 × 456 km · 42.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 66554 |
Electron 76 Kick Stage 2025-267B · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Kick Stage | Mass 40 kg | Orbit 402 × 430 km · 42.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 66555 |
Electron 76 Stage 2 2025-267C · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Electron St2 | Mass 250 kg | Orbit 145 × 237 km · 42.0° | Status Decayed 2025-11-28 | NORAD 66556 |
