The Cosmos Will See You Now
The Cosmos Will See You Now was a Rocket Lab Electron mission for Open Cosmos that launched successfully at 10:52 UTC on 22 January 2026 (11:52 p.m. NZDT on 22 January; 5:52 a.m. EST on 22 January) from Launch Complex 1A on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula.
10:52 UTC on 22 January 2026 · 11:52 p.m. NZDT on 22 January · 5:52 a.m. EST on 22 January
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: x.com -
Both Satellites deployed.
by hitura-nobad Source: youtube.com -
Liftoff
by hitura-nobad Source: youtube.com
Updates via Launch Library 2 (The Space Devs).
Name Origin
Wordplay on "The doctor will see you now" — "doctor" replaced by "Cosmos," playing on the customer name Open Cosmos. The cosmos is open and ready to receive the payload.
Mission Overview
First 2 satellites (named MR-1 and MR-2) of UK-based Open Cosmos' secure LEO broadband constellation designed to provide independent and resilient connectivity infrastructure for Europe and the world, using high-priority Ka-band spectrum filings by the Principality of Liechtenstein.
In the news
- Rocket Lab launches its 1st mission of 2026, sending 2 satellites to orbit (video) (opens in a new tab) Space.com
Rocket Lab launched its first mission of 2026 on Jan; 22, sending two Open Cosmos satellites to orbit on Electron’s 80th flight.
- Rocket Lab Delivers Mission Success on First Launch of 2026 for New Customer: Open Cosmos (opens in a new tab) Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab successfully launched Open Cosmos satellites for their first 2026 mission, the 80th Electron flight. This mission demonstrated Electron's capability for higher-altitude LEO deployments, enabling new…
- Rocket Lab launches first satellites for Open Cosmos constellation (opens in a new tab) SpaceNews
Rocket Lab's Electron rocket deployed the first two satellites for Open Cosmos's new European telecom constellation. This launch showcases Electron's capability for LEO constellation deployment, expanding Rocket Lab's…
Technical Details
- The Cosmos Will See You Now rocketlabcorp.com
Launch data cross-checked against Wikipedia.
Was this a jellyfish launch?
UnlikelySun 27° below the horizon at liftoff — full night, the plume stays in Earth's shadow.
Details
- Unlikely
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Liftoff
- 11:52 p.m. NZDT · 10:52 UTC
- Sunset
- 8:32 p.m. NZDT · 07:32 UTC
- Civil dusk (−6°)
- 9:03 p.m. NZDT · 08:03 UTC
- Nautical dusk (−12°)
- 9:40 p.m. NZDT · 08:40 UTC
- Astronomical dusk (−18°)
- 10:22 p.m. NZDT · 09:22 UTC
Twilight times at the pad (Mahia, NZ) for the evening 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MR 2 2026-015A · Payload | Operator Open Cosmos/Barcelona | Built by Open Cosmos Ltd. Cubesat 12U? | Mass 20 kg | Orbit 1,058 × 1,066 km · 89.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 67556 |
MR 1 2026-015B · Payload | Operator Open Cosmos/Barcelona | Built by Open Cosmos Ltd. Cubesat 12U? | Mass 20 kg | Orbit 1,058 × 1,066 km · 89.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 67557 |
Electron 80 Stage 2 2026-015C · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Electron St2 | Mass 250 kg | Orbit 121 × 207 km · 88.9° | Status Decayed 2026-02-21 | NORAD 67558 |
Electron 80 Kick Stage 2026-015D · Stage | Operator Rocket Lab Ltd. | Built by Rocket Lab Ltd. Kick Stage | Mass 42 kg | Orbit 282 × 843 km · 89.0° | Status On orbit | NORAD 67559 |