Rocket Lab launches three Hawk satellites from New Zealand — Space.com

Rocket Lab on October 23 launched three Hawk satellites from New Zealand for the U.S. company HawkEye 360. The Electron rocket lifted off at 3:11 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time, or 07:11 GMT and 20:11 New Zealand local time, Space.com reports.

Collection of radio-frequency signals

The three Hawk satellites belong to Virginia-based HawkEye 360. Under the mission plan, they are to be placed into low Earth orbit at an altitude of 520 kilometers. Once operational, the spacecraft will scan the planet for radio-frequency emissions.

Rocket Lab said that HawkEye 360 satellites operate in groups of three and collect data across the entire radio-frequency spectrum. They are used to track maritime traffic, detect interference with global navigation satellite system signals, monitor radars, map communications, and support space defense.

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Rocket Lab's 19th mission this year

HawkEye 360 supplies the collected data to the U.S. government and its allies. The company uses its own signal processing and artificial intelligence-based analytics. The first HawkEye 360 satellites were launched in 2018, and nearly 50 such spacecraft have already been sent into low Earth orbit.

The current liftoff was Rocket Lab's 98th launch and the company's 19th mission in 2026. Sixteen flights this year were carried out using Electron rockets, while another three used the HASTE suborbital version, which is employed to test technologies in hypersonic flight.