Rocket Lab Deploys Two Open Cosmos Spacecraft In Its First Electron Launch Of 2026

• Rocket Lab stated that the two Open Cosmos satellites were deployed into a 1,050 kilometer circular Earth orbit.
• The mission, named “The Cosmos Will See You Now”, lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand.
• This was Electron’s 80th launch overall since its first orbital launch in January 2018.

Rocket Lab USA Inc. (RKLB) on Thursday announced the liftoff of its first Electron launch of 2026, carrying two spacecraft for Open Cosmos.

In an update on X, the company announced that it has successfully deployed both spacecraft to orbit. An hour earlier, Rocket Lab stated that a second engine cutoff (SECO) had been confirmed and that nominal transfer orbit had been achieved.

Rocket Lab shares were down more than 1% in Thursday’s pre-market trade. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around the company was in the ‘bullish’ territory.

Details Of The Mission

Rocket Lab stated that the two Open Cosmos satellites were deployed into a 1,050 kilometer circular Earth orbit. The mission, named “The Cosmos Will See You Now”, lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand.

This was Electron’s 80th launch overall since its first orbital launch in January 2018. Rocket Lab stated that the Electron launch vehicle is the second-most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually. It has delivered more than 200 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations.

“Today’s launch is a great showcase of the benefits of flying dedicated on Electron: accurate constellation deployment, streamlined access to space, and the reliability of consistently delivering mission success for our customers,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck.

What Does Open Cosmos Do?

Open Cosmos is a first-time dedicated launch customer of Rocket Lab. Founded in 2015, offers end-to-end satellite services, comprising design and manufacturing to in-orbit operations and solutions.

The company’s launch on Thursday comes a week after it secured high-priority Ka-band spectrum, with the two satellites now in its new proprietary low Earth orbit (LEO) telecom constellation.

Open Cosmos’ new constellation will complement the company’s existing satellites in orbit that deliver high-resolution imagery and offer global monitoring capabilities.

RKLB stock is up 26% year-to-date and 181% over the past 12 months.

Also See: Apple Seeks To Prevent India’s Antitrust Regulator From Accessing Global Financial Records As It Fears A $38 Billion Fine: Report

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