Rocket Lab Successfully Launches Three HawkEye 360 Signals-Intelligence Satellites to Orbit on October 23
Rocket Lab successfully deployed three private signals-intelligence satellites into low Earth orbit on October 23. The mission, playfully named "We're Not Hawking Around," lifted off aboard an Electron rocket from the company's New Zealand launch site at 3:11 a.m.
Rocket Lab successfully deployed three private signals-intelligence satellites into low Earth orbit on October 23. The mission, playfully named "We're Not Hawking Around," lifted off aboard an Electron rocket from the company's New Zealand launch site at 3:11 a.m. EDT. The payload consists of three "Hawk" spacecraft built for Virginia-based HawkEye 360.
Operating at a planned altitude of 323 miles, these satellites scan the globe for radio frequency emissions across the spectrum. HawkEye 360 uses this collected data for maritime tracking, detecting satellite navigation jamming, monitoring radar, mapping communications, and supporting space defense. The company provides the resulting analytics to the U.S. government and its allies to aid strategic decision-making.
This flight marks HawkEye 360's continued expansion, following a separate launch of three satellites on a SpaceX rideshare mission just two days prior. The company has now sent nearly 50 spacecraft to orbit since its initial launch in 2018. For Rocket Lab, the mission represents its 98th launch overall and its 19th of 2026.
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Original publication: 23 October 2026 16:27