Rocket Lab Starts 2026 With 80th Successful Launch

Rocket Lab kicked off 2026 with a perfect launch, proving that reaching space is no longer just for superpowers and tech giants.

The company's Electron rocket lifted off from New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula just before midnight on January 22nd, carrying two satellites into orbit 1,050 kilometers above Earth. The mission marked Rocket Lab's 80th successful launch since 2018 and welcomed Open Cosmos as its newest customer.

Open Cosmos, a European space technology company, secured crucial communication frequencies just one week before this launch. The two satellites will become the foundation of a new telecommunications network designed to connect people and devices worldwide from low Earth orbit.

What makes this launch special goes beyond the numbers. Rocket Lab tailored the entire mission to Open Cosmos's specific needs, placing the satellites at precisely the right altitude and position to start building their constellation. This kind of customized service used to take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Since its first orbital launch in 2018, Rocket Lab has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually. The company has delivered more than 200 satellites to orbit for customers ranging from NASA to climate monitoring organizations.

The Ripple Effect

Every successful launch like this one makes space more accessible to organizations solving real problems on Earth. Open Cosmos already operates satellites providing high-resolution imagery for environmental monitoring, disaster response, and agricultural planning. Their expanding constellation will help more communities access crucial data about our changing planet.

Rocket Lab's reliability means scientists, governments, and companies can plan missions with confidence. The company operates three launch pads across New Zealand and Virginia, with another Electron launch scheduled shortly from the same New Zealand complex.

Founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck celebrated the milestone: "What a great way to start off the year, by welcoming a new customer and launching a mission tailored just for them." The sentiment captures how space launch has transformed from an exclusive club into a dependable service industry.

As Open Cosmos ramps up satellite production to meet growing global demand, they'll have a proven partner ready to send each one skyward exactly when and where needed.