Rocket Lab Corporation has announced that its next Electron launch will carry the STP-S30 mission for the US Space Force’s Space Systems Command, after bringing the mission forward by several months. The move highlights Rocket Lab’s ability to respond rapidly to the Department of War’s space access requirements.
The mission, titled Don’t Be Such A Square, is scheduled to lift off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, with a launch window opening on December 18 at 05:00 UTC. The launch site is located on Wallops Island, Virginia.
Led by the Department of War’s Space Test Programme and the Rocket Systems Launch Programme, the STP-S30 mission will deploy the first four DiskSats into orbit. These disk-shaped spacecraft platforms were developed by The Aerospace Corporation and are managed by Space Systems Command’s System Delta 89 Capability Development Branch. The project is funded through National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Small Spacecraft and Distributed Systems programme, based at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California and overseen by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington.
Electron will deliver the DiskSats to a 550-km low Earth orbit, where The Aerospace Corporation will evaluate their maneuverability, launch dispenser mechanism and ability to change orbit using electric propulsion. These capabilities are intended to support more flexible and responsive space operations and offer an alternative approach to traditional small satellite designs.
Working closely with the Rocket Systems Launch Programme, Rocket Lab advanced the Don’t Be Such A Square mission from its original target of April 2026 to December 2025. The accelerated schedule underscores Rocket Lab’s responsive launch capabilities and follows another recent milestone, with the mission set to fly less than a month after the company’s previous Launch Complex 2 mission. That earlier launch formed part of a rare achievement in which Rocket Lab conducted two launches within 48 hours from sites in different hemispheres.
The upcoming flight will mark Electron’s 20th launch of the year and the 78th mission overall, further cementing Rocket Lab’s role as a key provider of rapid and reliable launch services for government and commercial customers.
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