iQPS Satellite Deployed by Rocket Lab
Company Conducts its 69th Electron Mission
The 69th Electron mission conducted by launch company Rocket Lab has deployed the latest satellite to orbit for Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS). This was Rocket Lab’s fifth dedicated mission in a multi-launch contract to build the iQPS constellation in low Earth orbit.
“Building a satellite constellation requires both timely development and manufacturing, as well as highly precise launch execution.” Dr. Shunsuke Onishi, iQPS
‘The Harvest Goddess Thrives’ mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 04:10 UTC on August 5th. Electron deployed a single synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellite named QPS-SAR-12 (nicknamed KUSHINADA-I for the Japanese goddess of harvest and agriculture) to a 575km (≈357 mile) circular Earth orbit. It was Rocket Lab’s fourth launch this year for iQPS and fifth mission overall, making Electron the most prolific launcher of their constellation to date. Four more dedicated iQPS missions are scheduled to launch on Electron through the remainder of this year and in 2026.
“Every Electron launch is a demonstration of payload deployment precision for our customers – an especially critical element when scaling satellite constellations," said Rocket Lab Founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck. "Today’s fifth and flawless deployment for iQPS once again underscores Electron’s reliability and continues to prove that consistent tailored access to space is a reality on Electron for our customers.”
“Building a satellite constellation requires both timely development and manufacturing, as well as highly precise launch execution. We are deeply grateful to both our team and the Rocket Lab team for their continued dedication in making this possible," said iQPS CEO, Dr. Shunsuke Onishi. "As the number of satellites increases, so too does the frequency and value of the data we are able to provide. We will continue to accelerate our efforts to ensure that our satellite data can be leveraged in even more fields and applications.”
‘The Harvest Goddess Thrives’ marks Rocket Lab’s 11th Electron mission of 2025 and its 69th launch overall.