BlackSky announces latest Gen-3 satellite in orbit after confidential Electron launch
BREMEN, Germany - Earth observation company BlackSky was the confidential customer for the latest Rocket Lab launch, placing into orbit a satellite that has already returned its first images.
The company announced Nov. 25 that its newest Gen-3 satellite produced its first high-resolution imagery less than 24 hours after its launch this month. The spacecraft is the third Gen-3 satellite in orbit, capable of producing images at a resolution of 35 centimeters and offering advanced features such as infrared imaging and intersatellite links.
"BlackSky's third Gen-3 unit has delivered incredible initial image quality at unprecedented speed - less than one day from launch," Brian O'Toole, chief executive of BlackSky, said in a statement.
The release did not disclose who launched the spacecraft or when. However, a BlackSky spokesperson confirmed to SpaceNews that the satellite launched on a Rocket Lab Electron on Nov. 20. That mission, called "Follow My Speed," carried a single spacecraft for what the launch company described only as a confidential commercial customer.
Speculation that BlackSky was the customer started immediately after the launch and grew when the payload appeared in tracking databases as "Global-33," the naming convention BlackSky uses for its satellites.
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BlackSky did not explain why it chose not to be identified as the launch customer. The company has a contract with Rocket Lab for multiple Electron launches and said during a Nov. 6 earnings call that its next Gen-3 satellite was already at the launch site for a planned launch in the coming weeks.
This was the third time this year Rocket Lab launched an Electron for an unnamed commercial customer. A June launch carried an undisclosed payload later linked to EchoStar. An August mission carried five satellites, designated Calistus A through E in the U.S. Space Force's Space-Track database and registered to Rwanda, suggesting the customer is E-Space, which has spectrum filings through that nation.
The BlackSky launch, though, stood out because it took place less than five hours after Rocket Lab issued a press release announcing the Follow My Speed mission. Rocket Lab typically announces upcoming commercial launches several days to weeks in advance.
BlackSky plans to have at least 12 Gen-3 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026. The company said the constellation "continues to evolve through a regular interval of launches that expand capacity, reduce latency, add flexibility and increase customer applications for automated real-time and predictive battlefield monitoring."
"As BlackSky continues to expand our Gen-3 constellation, this successful mission signifies the value of strategic investments in advancing commercial space-based intelligence capabilities," O'Toole said.
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