Rocket Lab USA has launched its Electron rocket, deploying five satellites to Low Earth Orbit for French Internet-of-Things (IoT) constellation operator Kinéis. Rocket Lab has deployed a complete constellation of 25 IoT satellites in less than a year.
“That’s five missions out of five for Kinéis delivered flawlessly by Electron. Many constellation operators wait years for their first mission, but we’ve deployed Kinéis’ mission in under a year and with 100% dedicated launches where they have been able to select launch site, date, and orbital parameters allowing them to maximize coverage for each of their 25 spacecraft. We’re proud to have enabled a more connected world through Kinéis’ IoT spacecraft and look forward to seeing all the valuable data and insights the constellation provides in the coming months and years," Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said.
The “High Five” mission launched from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand on March 18th, 2025. Five satellites were deployed to a 650 km low Earth orbit. This marked Rocket Lab’s fourth Electron launch of 2025, and 62nd Electron launch overall.
“Since 2018, we have led an ambitious project, and this launch, the final one in a series of five, crowns an exceptional effort carried out with solid partners like Rocket Lab, enabling the deployment of our IoT-dedicated constellation in less than a year. On June 1st, we will launch our IoT satellite connectivity commercial services. This achievement marks the beginning of a new era for Kinéis, where the data collected by our constellation will unlock numerous opportunities for our clients and partners,” Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Kinéis Christophe Vassal stated.
The Kinéis constellation was created to connect and locate any connected object anywhere in the world, enabling data transmission to users in near-real time, at low bit rates and with very low energy consumption. By allowing internet connection to the Earth’s most remote locations, Kinéis constellation has supposedly supported forest fire detection, water resource management, infrastructure and energy network monitoring, and transport and logistics tracking.