Rocket Lab's Electron successfully launched a group of five satellites for the French startup Kinéis on September 20. The launch took place at Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, with liftoff occurring at 7:01 p.m. Eastern time. The satellites were deployed into sun-synchronous orbits at an altitude of 643 kilometers, setting Kinéis on the path to providing Internet of Things (IoT) services globally.

This launch marks the second out of the five that Kinéis has contracted Rocket Lab for in 2021, following a previous launch in June. The goal is to establish a 25-satellite constellation that will enable Kinéis to offer IoT services on a global scale. Alexandre Tisserant, Kinéis' chairman and chief executive, shared that the company plans to launch the remaining 15 satellites by the first quarter of 2025, with an initial IoT service planned for January using the current 10 satellites now in orbit.

Kinéis aims to differentiate itself in the IoT market by offering smaller, more cost-effective devices that consume less energy compared to competitors. Tisserant emphasized the importance of launching operational spacecraft into precise orbits, highlighting the benefits of using Rocket Lab's dedicated launch vehicles like the Electron for this purpose. The successful deployment of the Kinéis satellites contributes to Rocket Lab's record-breaking 11th launch this year, demonstrating the demand for dedicated launch services in the commercial space industry.