Rocket Lab — next launch, schedule & where to watch
Next Rocket Lab launch: Electron We're Not Hawking Around (3x HawkEye 360), in 3 days, targeting Oct 21, 2026, 1:00 AM Eastern. Full schedule below.
A small-launch specialist flying the Electron rocket and developing the larger, reusable Neutron.
Get the exact time and direction for Electron | We're Not Hawking Around (3x HawkEye 360): free email alert
Enter your ZIP or city and we’ll email you if it clears your horizon: about a day ahead, with the direction to look.
Click the one confirmation email we send to activate. One-click unsubscribe.
For free area alerts, we store your email, chosen location, alert preferences and delivery history so we can send and manage your alerts. Privacy details.
Free email alert + a note if the date moves ✓ what you’re signing up for now
Pro a text when it’s a go and before liftoff (delivery times vary) · the weather at liftoff in the app · a minute-by-minute where-to-look plan · $19.99/yr or $4.99/mo
Free · no account needed
Upcoming Rocket Lab launches
- Electron | We're Not Hawking Around (3x HawkEye 360) In 3 days
- Electron | The Sea God Surveys (iQPS Launch 9) In 2 weeks
- Electron | The Mountain God Rises (iQPS Launch 10) In 3 weeks
- Electron | BlackSky Gen-3 6 In 11 weeks
- Electron | BlackSky Gen-3 7 In 11 weeks
- Electron | BlackSky Gen-3 8 In 11 weeks
- Electron | BlackSky Gen-3 9 In 11 weeks
- Electron | iQPS Launch 11 In 11 weeks
- Electron | LOXSAT 1 In 11 weeks
- HASTE | Leidos-3 In 11 weeks
- HASTE | Leidos-4 In 11 weeks
- HASTE | Leidos-5 In 11 weeks
Most often launches from: Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA.
About Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is a small-satellite launch company flying the Electron rocket, one of the most frequently launched dedicated small-lift vehicles in the world. It is developing the larger Neutron rocket to compete for medium-lift missions.
Electron launches primarily from Rocket Lab’s private site on the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand, with additional launches from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Wallops launches can be visible across the US Mid-Atlantic when they fly at dusk or after dark.
Rockets: Electron
Where to watch Rocket Lab launches
- Wallops Island, VA, about 6 mi from the pad; look west-southwest.
- Chincoteague, VA, about 9 mi from the pad; look southwest.
- Onancock, VA, about 17 mi from the pad; look east-northeast.
- Pocomoke City, MD, about 17 mi from the pad; look south-southeast.
- Exmore, VA, about 28 mi from the pad; look northeast.
- Berlin, MD, about 37 mi from the pad; look south-southwest.
Rocket Lab launch viewing FAQ
When is the next Rocket Lab launch?
The next Rocket Lab launch is Electron We're Not Hawking Around (3x HawkEye 360), currently targeting Oct 21, 2026, 5:00 AM UTC / Oct 21, 2026, 1:00 AM Eastern / Oct 20, 2026, 10:00 PM Pacific. Dates slip often; this page is rebuilt daily with the latest schedule, or set a free alert to get the final time.
Where does Rocket Lab launch from?
Most Electron missions launch from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula. US launches fly from Launch Complex 2 at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Can I see a Rocket Lab launch from the US East Coast?
Wallops launches can be visible across the Mid-Atlantic — from Virginia up through New Jersey — when they happen at twilight or night and skies are clear. New Zealand launches are not visible from North America.