Owl The Way Up
Owl The Way Up was a Rocket Lab Electron mission for Synspective that launched successfully at 14:17 UTC on 21 December 2024 (3:17 a.m. NZDT on 22 December; 9:17 a.m. EST on 21 December) from Launch Complex 1B on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.
14:17 UTC on 21 December 2024 · 3:17 a.m. NZDT on 22 December · 9:17 a.m. EST on 21 December
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
“Owl The Way Up” likely refers to the StriX SAR satellites' all-weather, day-and-night imaging capabilities. "Owl" evokes nocturnal vision, while "The Way Up" signifies reaching orbit on Rocket Lab's Electron rocket.
Mission Overview
Synthetic aperture radar satellites for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.
Technical Details
40
kiwisLaunch data cross-checked against Wikipedia.
Was this a jellyfish launch?
LowSun 20° below the horizon at liftoff — dark at the pad, only the upper stage might catch sunlight.
Details
- Unlikely
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Liftoff
- 3:17 a.m. NZDT · 14:17 UTC
- Astronomical dawn (−18°)
- 3:38 a.m. NZDT · 14:38 UTC
- Nautical dawn (−12°)
- 4:25 a.m. NZDT · 15:25 UTC
- Civil dawn (−6°)
- 5:06 a.m. NZDT · 16:06 UTC
- Sunrise
- 5:38 a.m. NZDT · 16:38 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-2 2024-248A · Payload | Operator Synspective Inc. | Built by Synspective Inc. StriX | Mass 150 kg | Orbit 527 × 545 km · 97.6° | Status On orbit | NORAD 62406 |
Electron 58 Kick Stage 2024-248B · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Kick Stage | Mass 50 kg | Orbit 446 × 492 km · 97.6° | Status On orbit | NORAD 62407 |
Electron 58 Stage 2 2024-248C · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Electron St2 | Mass 250 kg | Orbit 128 × 196 km · 97.5° | Status Decayed 2024-12-29 | NORAD 62408 |
