Next Electron Launch: Rocket Lab Schedule After Launch 100

Is there an Electron launch today?

No. As of Sunday 15 November 2026, no Electron launch is scheduled for today. Rocket Lab's most recent flight was its 100th Electron mission, The Mountain God Rises, which lifted off from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, at 6:30 p.m. local time on 14 November ^[1].

That was 05:30 UTC on 14 November, or 08:30 in Istanbul ^[1][4]. The rocket deployed a radar satellite for the Japanese company iQPS, and Rocket Lab announced mission success the same day ^[1].

Searches for an Electron launch today usually come from one of two situations: a launch that has just happened, or one that is about to happen. This weekend it is the first. The next mission has no confirmed date or launch window yet. For the 100th flight, Rocket Lab issued its launch announcement on 12 November, two days before liftoff ^[2].

For the plan and background of the milestone flight itself, see the Pouyam guide Rocket Lab's 100th Electron Launch: Date, Time, Mission.

When is the next Electron launch?

The next Electron launch listed by independent trackers is StriX Launch 14 for Synspective, targeted no earlier than late November 2026 from New Zealand; Rocket Lab has not published a date or time ^[4][5].

Launch Library 2, a public database run by The Space Devs, shows StriX Launch 14 with the status To Be Determined and a target of 30 November 2026 ^[4]. That date has month-level precision, which means the database only expects the launch sometime in November; the day itself is a placeholder, not a date given by Rocket Lab or Synspective ^[4][11]. Space Launch Hub, which draws on the same data, describes the mission as no earlier than late November ^[5].

Rocket Lab's own launches page tells a different story. It names NASA's Aspera mission as the next launch and lists it for 2026 ^[3]. NASA, however, said in October that Aspera is scheduled for no earlier than 29 January 2027 ^[8]. Commercial missions often appear on Rocket Lab's page only shortly before launch, so the page is not a full schedule ^[3].

After StriX Launch 14, the trackers list further Electron missions for BlackSky, iQPS and the LOXSAT demonstration, all with placeholder dates at the end of 2026 ^[4]. Treat every date in this guide as a target, not a promise, until Rocket Lab announces a launch window.

What happened on Electron's 100th launch?

Electron's 100th launch was a success: The Mountain God Rises lifted off on 14 November 2026 and placed the YAMATSUMI-II radar satellite into a 575-kilometre low Earth orbit for iQPS ^[1].

According to Rocket Lab, Electron reached 100 launches faster than any other commercially developed rocket ^[1]. The company's key facts about the flight:

• Time and place: 6:30 p.m. New Zealand Daylight Time on 14 November, from Launch Complex 1 ^[1].
• Payload: YAMATSUMI-II, a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite that images the Earth through cloud and at night ^[1].
• Customer record: it was Rocket Lab's 11th Electron launch for iQPS, all successful since 2023, and iQPS has booked seven more dedicated launches through 2030 ^[1].
• History: Electron first flew in 2017 and has launched from pads in New Zealand and Virginia ^[1].

Founder and chief executive Peter Beck said that few rockets reach 100 launches in their whole operational life, and that the next 100 Electrons are already booked ^[1]. The launch broadcast and images were published by Rocket Lab on YouTube and Flickr ^[1].

What is StriX Launch 14 and who is Synspective?

StriX Launch 14 is a planned Electron mission to place one StriX radar satellite for Synspective, a Tokyo-based Earth observation company, into a sun-synchronous orbit ^[4][7]. A sun-synchronous orbit passes over each place at about the same local time every day, which helps when comparing images over time.

Synspective's StriX satellites use synthetic aperture radar, which works day and night and through clouds ^[7]. The company launched its 13th satellite on an Electron mission called Owlright, Owlright, Owlright on 26 September 2026, a week after the 12th ^[6][3].

Synspective is Rocket Lab's biggest launch customer. On 30 September 2026, the two companies signed a contract for 20 more Electron missions, the largest commercial Electron deal so far, taking Synspective's total to 47 ^[7]. Those 20 launches are planned from 2028 through 2031 from Launch Complex 1 ^[7].

Rocket Lab traditionally gives each Electron mission a nickname; Synspective flights have used owl-themed names ^[3]. The nickname for StriX Launch 14 had not been published as of 15 November ^[4].

How can I watch an Electron launch live?

Rocket Lab streams Electron launches live on its YouTube channel, @RocketLabCorp; for the 100th flight, coverage began about one hour before liftoff ^[2].

Follow these steps for the next mission:

1. Watch for the announcement. Rocket Lab publishes a news release with the target date and time ahead of launch. For the 100th flight, the release came two days ahead ^[2].
2. Convert the time. Rocket Lab gives times in New Zealand Daylight Time, which is UTC+13 until April. The 100th launch at 6:30 p.m. NZDT was 05:30 UTC ^[1][4].
3. Open the stream early. Join the YouTube broadcast when coverage starts, about an hour before the planned time ^[2].
4. Check for changes. Electron launches can move by minutes or days because of weather or technical checks; the mission page and trackers such as Launch Library 2 and Next Spaceflight update when that happens ^[4][9].

Launch Complex 1 is on the Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand's North Island ^[4]. After launch, Rocket Lab usually confirms the result in a release the same day, as it did on 14 November ^[1].

How often does Rocket Lab launch Electron?

Very often for a small rocket: Launch Library 2 lists 21 Electron launches so far in 2026, and the last six came between 11 September and 14 November ^[10][3].

Rocket Lab's completed-missions list shows the recent run of Electron flights, all from Launch Complex 1 ^[3]:

• 11 September: Happily Ever Faster, for a confidential customer ^[3].
• 19 September: Owl By The Dozen, for Synspective ^[3].
• 26 September: Owlright, Owlright, Owlright, for Synspective ^[3].
• 23 October: We're Not Hawking Around, for HawkEye 360 ^[3].
• 3 November: The Sea God Surveys, for iQPS ^[3].
• 14 November: The Mountain God Rises, for iQPS, the 100th Electron ^[3][1].

The gaps between those launches ranged from 7 days to 27 days. That pace is one reason people search for the next launch soon after the last one. It does not, however, tell you the next date: each flight depends on the customer's satellite being ready and on the range and weather ^[4].

Rocket Lab also flies HASTE, a suborbital version of Electron used for test flights, from Virginia. Those missions are listed separately and often have undisclosed customers ^[3].

Why do Electron launch dates change so often?

Because most published dates are targets, marked no earlier than (NET), and some are only placeholders until Rocket Lab sets a launch window ^[4][11].

Three things explain most date changes:

• Placeholder dates in databases. When only a month or quarter is known, Launch Library 2 stores a single date inside that period. Orbital Current, which tracks these records daily, notes that such a value is not a date any agency or provider stated ^[11].
• Customer readiness. Each Electron mission waits for its satellite to be shipped, tested and attached to the rocket. NASA's Aspera, for example, finished vibration and thermal vacuum tests in September 2026 and is now aiming for late January 2027 ^[8].
• Weather and checks on the day. Wind, cloud and technical issues can delay a launch within its window or push it to another day, as with any rocket.

Different sources can also disagree. Next Spaceflight lists Aspera as the 101st Electron mission, while Launch Library 2 shows StriX Launch 14 earlier ^[9][4]. When trackers disagree, Rocket Lab's own release and mission page are the final word ^[1][3].

What comes next for Rocket Lab after 100 Electron launches?

More Electron missions for constellation customers, NASA science flights from early 2027 and the debut of Rocket Lab's larger reusable Neutron rocket ^[1][3][8].

The booked work is substantial. iQPS has seven more dedicated launches through 2030, Synspective has 20 new missions from 2028, and Rocket Lab's upcoming list includes NASA missions such as Aspera, LOXSAT, TSIS-2 in 2027 and two PolSIR launches no earlier than June 2027 ^[1][7][3].

Rocket Lab describes Electron as laying the operational foundation for Neutron, its next medium-lift rocket ^[1]. For readers following the company, the practical point is simple: the next Electron flight is likely to be announced at short notice, and a launch today will be confirmed by Rocket Lab first.

For the lead-up to the milestone mission, including the iQPS payload, see the Pouyam guide Rocket Lab's 100th Electron Launch: Date, Time, Mission.