Rocket Lab launches Korean disaster-monitoring satellite after long delay
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A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launches South Korea’s NEONSAT-1A satellite from New Zealand on January 29, 2026. | Credit: Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab launched a South Korean disaster monitoring satellite from New Zealand on Thursday (January 29), about six weeks later than initially planned.
A 59 foot tall (18 meter high) Electron rocket launched the “Bridging the Swarm” mission since Rocket LabThe New Zealand site on Thursday at 8:21 p.m. EST (01:21 GMT and 2:21 p.m. New Zealand local time on January 30).
This was the second takeoff attempt for “Bridging the Swarm”. The first, on December 15, ended with a last second abandonment. And even this attempt was somewhat delayed; Rocket Lab had originally targeted December 10, but pushed things back to make additional payments.
The Electron first stage falls back to Earth during the launch of South Korea’s NEONSAT-1A satellite from New Zealand on January 29, 2026. | Credit: Rocket Lab
“Bridging the Swarm” carried a unique payload for the Satellite Technology Research Center (SaTReC) of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
This payload is NEONSAT-1A, “an advanced Earth observation system satellite equipped with a high-resolution optical camera,” Rocket Lab wrote in a description of the mission.
“Designed to monitor natural disasters on the Korean Peninsula in near real-time, KAIST’s NEONSAT constellation is a collaboration between several Korean academic, industrial and research institutions, including SaTReC, which is leading the program’s system design and engineering,” the company added.
NEONSAT is not yet a constellation. Previously, only one satellite in the program had reached low earth orbit — NEONSAT-1, which flew atop an Electron in April 2024.
The NEONSAT program is funded by the Korean government, namely the Ministry of Science and ICT. (ICT stands for “Information and Communication Technologies”.)
Everything went as planned during Thursday’s launch: the Electron kick stage NEONSAT-1A deployed approximately 54 minutes after launch, releasing it 336 miles (540 kilometers) above our planet.
“Bridging The Swarm” was Rocket Lab’s second launch of 2026 and his 81st overall to date. The company launched 21 missions last year, setting a new Rocket Lab record.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 8:30 p.m. ET on January 29 with news of the successful liftoff, then again at 12:25 a.m. ET on January 30 with news of the payload deployment.
