Rocket Lab Just Signed the Biggest Commercial Electron Deal in Its History. Its Launch Backlog Now Tops 100.

Rocket Lab has signed what it called its largest-ever commercial Electron deal: 20 additional launches for Synspective, the Japanese radar-satellite operator, announced late Sept. 30. The contract takes Synspective’s total to 47 Electron missions—the most for any Rocket Lab customer—and pushes Rocket Lab’s launch backlog to more than 100 missions, up from over 70 in early May and 90-plus in August. Electron flights are scheduled yearly from 2028 through 2031. Synspective’s radar StriX satellites image through clouds and at night. While some investors worry after SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit, Rocket Lab’s first-half 2026 revenue per launch rose to $9.2 million and cost fell to $4.9 million.