Owl New World
Owl New World was a Rocket Lab Electron mission for Synspective that launched successfully at 16:33 UTC on 14 October 2025 (5:33 a.m. NZDT on 15 October; 12:33 p.m. EDT on 14 October) from Launch Complex 1A on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.
16:33 UTC on 14 October 2025 · 5:33 a.m. NZDT on 15 October · 12:33 p.m. EDT on 14 October
Mission State
This mission currently has a dated launch window in the tracker.
The primary watch link points to an official Rocket Lab source.
Launch Updates
-
Launch success.
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: synspective.com -
Spacecraft separation.
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: youtube.com -
Liftoff.
by Cosmic_Penguin Source: youtube.com
Updates via Launch Library 2 (The Space Devs).
Name Origin
Pun on Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World (1932) — "Brave" replaced by "Owl," referencing the StriX satellites (Strix = owl genus). Also marks the start of a new 21-launch Synspective contract.
Mission Overview
Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
In the news
- Rocket Lab launches 7th StriX Earth observation satellites for Japan-based Synspective (opens in a new tab) Spaceflight Now
Rocket Lab successfully launched its 15th mission of the year, deploying the seventh StriX satellite for Synspective. This begins a massive 21-launch contract to complete a 30-satellite SAR constellation by 2030.
Technical Details
40
kiwisLaunch data cross-checked against Wikipedia.
Was this a jellyfish launch?
HighSun 10° below the horizon at liftoff — prime twilight.
Details
- Unlikely
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Liftoff
- 5:33 a.m. NZDT · 16:33 UTC
- Astronomical dawn (−18°)
- 4:47 a.m. NZDT · 15:47 UTC
- Nautical dawn (−12°)
- 5:22 a.m. NZDT · 16:22 UTC
- Civil dawn (−6°)
- 5:54 a.m. NZDT · 16:54 UTC
- Sunrise
- 6:22 a.m. NZDT · 17:22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
StriX-5 2025-229A · Payload | Operator Synspective Inc. | Built by Synspective Inc. StriX | Mass 150 kg | Orbit 527 × 575 km · 41.9° | Status On orbit | NORAD 65971 |
Electron 73 Stage 2 2025-229B · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Electron St2 | Mass 250 kg | Orbit 535 × 588 km · 41.9° | Status Decayed 2025-10-20 | NORAD 65972 |
Electron 73 Kick Stage 2025-229C · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Kick Stage | Mass 50 kg | Orbit 520 × 573 km · 42.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 65973 |
