Rocket Lab launches Synspective Strix-3 satellite to orbit

Tuesday, March 12, 2024, Rocket Lab launched Synspective’s Strix-3 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite into low earth orbit using the electron rocket. The launch took place from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand under the “Owl Night Long”.

Strix is a small, low-cost SAR satellite that was jointly developed by Synspective, the University of Tokyo, the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

It features a foldable SAR antenna, increased power, and thermal control contributing to reducing the size of the satellite and providing imaging capability similar to a large SAR satellite.

Image Credit: Rocket Lab

The satellite has a mass under 100kg class and it has a 5-meter antenna size and a mission life expectation of 5 years.

Strix-3 is the fourth SAR satellite, which follows StriX-α, StriX-β, and StriX-1 launched in December 2020, March, and September 2022 respectively.

Compared to its predecessors, the Strix-3 can create and manage satellites using the same design as the StriX-1. Strix-3 will equip the satellite firm with this proficiency and facilitate continuous enhancement to make the assembly of the constellation considerably more efficient.