
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Rocket Lab launched a satellite for a mystery customer on Thursday morning (Nov. 20).
The liftoff, which occurred at 7:43 a.m. EST (1243 GMT) from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site, came as something of a surprise. The company formally announced the impending launch of its workhorse Electron rocket less than five hours ahead of time.
The mission, called "Follow My Speed" was a complete success, Rocket Lab announced via X on Thursday morning.
"Today's 'Follow My Speed' mission marks 18 launches with 100% mission success for 2025 — more than any other year in Electron's history — making our rocket the most frequently flown orbital small launch vehicle in the world," the company said in another Thursday X post.
Fifteen of those 18 launches have been orbital missions. The other three were suborbital flights involving HASTE, a modified version of the 59-foot-tall (18-meter-tall) Electron that allows customers to test hypersonic technologies in the space environment.
We don't know much about "Follow My Speed."
Rocket Lab described the mission in vague terms only, saying that its goal was "to deploy a single satellite for a confidential commercial customer."
Keeping things so close to the vest isn't exactly odd for launch companies, who regularly loft national-security payloads or commercial satellites with sensitive, proprietary tech. Rocket Lab, for example, launched five satellites for a confidential customer just three months ago.
latest_posts
- 1
80 km. on foot: Sharren Haskel’s three-day march in protest of haredi draft bill - 2
Support Your Wellness: 20-Minute Home Exercises That Work - 3
Grasping Various Kinds of Local misdemeanors - 4
State asks High Court to reject challenge to anti-UNRWA laws ahead of Monday hearing - 5
Ukraine's new defense minister just outlined how dire its troop shortage has become
Intriguing Social Unesco World Legacy Locales All over The Planet
Drenched in Pixels: A Survey of \Vivid Interactivity Experience\ Game
Iran fires one of largest barrages in weeks ahead of Passover
More than half way to the moon, the Artemis II astronauts are grappling with a toilet problem
Figure out How to Stay away from Normal Handshaking Missteps
Figure out How to Recognize Early Indications of Depressions
To fix a patient's irregular heartbeat, doctors first tested its digital 'twin'
St George Mining hits record 178m high-grade intercept at Araxá, reinforcing global scale
Bird flu poses risk of pandemic worse than COVID, France's Institut Pasteur says













