Rocket Lab Corporation, a global leader in launch services and space systems, successfully launched its 74th Electron mission and deployed the latest satellite to orbit for Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS). The mission was Rocket Lab’s sixth dedicated mission for iQPS, making Rocket Lab the most prolific launcher of its Earth-imaging constellation to date.
‘The Nation God Navigates’ mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 19:51 UTC on November 5th to deploy a single synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellite named QPS-SAR-14 (nicknamed YACHIHOKO-I for the Japanese god of nation-building) to a 575km circular Earth orbit. Electron will launch six more dedicated iQPS missions following the recent signing of an additional multi-launch agreement to build out its constellation in low Earth orbit.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, says: "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.”
iQPS CEO, Dr. Shunsuke Onishi, says: “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.”
‘The Nation God Navigates’ was Electron’s 74th launch to date and 16th this year, meeting Rocket Lab’s current record high of yearly launches, which was 16 in 2024. With more Electron missions scheduled throughout the remainder of 2025, Rocket Lab is on track for another record-breaking year of launches, all while the Company prepares for the debut launch of its medium-lift reusable rocket, Neutron.
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