Rocket Lab successfully launched its 70th Electron mission on 23 August, lifting off from Launch Complex 1 Pad A on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula at 22:42 UTC (10:42 a.m. local time, 6:42 p.m. Eastern). The flight, dubbed “Live, Laugh, Launch,” carried five satellites for an undisclosed commercial customer to a 413-mile (665-kilometre) circular low-Earth orbit. The operation marks the company’s 12th Electron launch of 2025, underscoring Rocket Lab’s growing cadence in the small-satellite market. While the payload owner was not identified, space-tracking analysts suggested the spacecraft could belong to EchoStar Australia or start-up E-Space. Rocket Lab did not disclose additional details but said the mission completes a two-launch contract for the same client. Electron, a 59-foot (18-metre) two-stage launcher optimized for dedicated small-satellite rides, has now flown 70 times since its 2017 debut. The company is concurrently developing a larger, partially reusable vehicle called Neutron, expected to make its first flight later this year.