Nichols Martin
Rocket Lab has agreed to help BlackSky launch geospatial intelligence satellites to space across multiple missions in 2021.
The launch vehicle provider said Thursday its Electron launch vehicle will send eight of BlackSky's 286-pound satellites to low Earth orbit across four flight missions.
BlackSky is also partnered with Spaceflight, which is in agreement to manage five missions with the Electron rocket for nine BlackSky satellites within the year.
The existing BlackSky constellation consists of three satellites, which Electron launched in 2019 and on a recent rideshare mission last week.
Under the agreement with Spaceflight and Rocket Lab, the satellite maker also has options to add more missions in this year's final quarter.
Rocket Lab’s launch capability will help scale the satellite constellation of BlackSky to deliver real-time global monitoring and analysis services to public and private organizations.
