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Highlights
• Rocket Lab successfully launched its 69th Electron mission, deploying QPS-SAR-12 satellite.
• The mission marks the company’s fifth dedicated launch for iQPS’s LEO constellation.
• Four additional iQPS launches on Electron are planned through 2026.

Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) completed its 69th Electron launch, delivering a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite to low Earth orbit (LEO) for the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS). The mission, named The Harvest Goddess Thrives, lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 04:10 UTC on August 5, 2025, deploying the QPS-SAR-12 satellite into a 575-kilometer circular orbit.

The QPS-SAR-12 satellite, also nicknamed KUSHINADA-I after the Japanese goddess of harvest and agriculture, is part of iQPS’s growing SAR constellation designed to provide high-resolution Earth imaging. This launch represents Rocket Lab’s fifth dedicated mission for iQPS and the fourth Electron flight for the company in 2025.

The mission underscores Rocket Lab’s ongoing role in supporting the rapid deployment of small satellite constellations. With four additional dedicated iQPS launches scheduled through the remainder of 2025 and into 2026, Electron continues to serve as the primary vehicle for expanding iQPS’s constellation. The increasing number of satellites is expected to enhance the frequency and value of data available to iQPS customers, enabling broader applications in areas such as disaster monitoring, infrastructure management, and environmental observation.

Rocket Lab Founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck highlighted the operational focus of the mission, stating that each Electron launch demonstrates precise payload deployment, which is critical for constellation scalability. He emphasized that this latest flight reinforced Electron’s track record of reliability in providing dedicated and timely access to orbit for satellite operators.

Meanwhile, iQPS CEO Dr. Shunsuke Onishi noted that both manufacturing efficiency and accurate launch execution are central to building a robust constellation. He added that the expansion of their satellite network would allow the company to deliver more frequent and actionable Earth observation data across multiple sectors.