Electron Launch Expands iQPS Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite Network

Written by Copernical Team Thursday, 06 November 2025 01:07

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Sydney, Australia (SPX) Nov 06, 2025

Rocket Lab has completed its 74th Electron mission, launching a synthetic aperture radar satellite, QPS-SAR-14 (YACHIHOKO-I), for Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS). This marks the sixth dedicated Electron launch for iQPS, and advances their Earth-imaging constellation. The 'Nation God Navigates' mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Complex 1 in New Zealand at 19:51 UTC on No

Electron Launch Expands iQPS Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite Network
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Nov 06, 2025

Rocket Lab has completed its 74th Electron mission, launching a synthetic aperture radar satellite, QPS-SAR-14 (YACHIHOKO-I), for Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS). This marks the sixth dedicated Electron launch for iQPS, and advances their Earth-imaging constellation.

The 'Nation God Navigates' mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Complex 1 in New Zealand at 19:51 UTC on November 5, sending the satellite to a 575km circular orbit. Following a new multi-launch deal, Rocket Lab plans six more Electron flights to further develop the iQPS constellation in low Earth orbit.

Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab CEO, said, "Success in the space industry boils down to precision and repeatability. This latest mission for iQPS once again demonstrates the pinpoint accuracy our customers depend on to grow their constellations, and we're grateful to the iQPS team for trusting us with their launch needs. With six seamless deployments for iQPS in the books, Electron is ready for the next six."

Dr. Shunsuke Onishi, CEO of iQPS, stated, "We are pleased to announce the successful deployment of QPS-SAR-14 'YACHIHOKO-I', marking our fifth successful launch this year. This milestone reflects the steady advancement of our technology and the growth of our team. We sincerely thank the Electron team and all our members for their outstanding work. With this success, we move closer to realizing our vision of near real-time Earth observation and delivering greater value to society."

This was Electron's 16th launch in 2025, matching the company's highest launch count in a single year, set in 2024. More Electron missions are scheduled before the end of the year as Rocket Lab prepares for the initial flight of its Neutron medium-lift launcher.