Rocket Lab Schedules Third Electron Launch in 24 Days to Deploy Next Mission for iQPS

Written by Copernical Team Wednesday, 04 June 2025 09:48

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 04, 2025

Rocket Lab has announced the launch window for its next mission for multi-launch customer, Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS), a Japan-based Earth imaging company. The mission, named 'The Mountain God Guards,' will launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand during a launch window that opens on June 10, 2025 UTC. The mission will launch a single synthetic apertur

Rocket Lab Schedules Third Electron Launch in 24 Days to Deploy Next Mission for iQPS
by Staff and Agencies
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 04, 2025

Rocket Lab has announced the launch window for its next mission for multi-launch customer, Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS), a Japan-based Earth imaging company.

The mission, named 'The Mountain God Guards,' will launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand during a launch window that opens on June 10, 2025 UTC. The mission will launch a single synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellite called QPS-SAR-11 (nicknamed YAMATSUMI-I for the Japanese god of mountains) to a 575km circular Earth orbit, from where the satellite will join the rest of the iQPS constellation in providing high resolution images and Earth monitoring services globally.

The mission is the latest in an accelerated cadence of launches of Electron, the world's most-frequently launched orbital small rocket. 'The Mountain God Guards' will be the Company's third Electron launch in just 24 days - and the fourth dedicated launch for iQPS to build out their satellite constellation - that demonstrates repeatable, reliable, and dedicated access to space for small satellite constellation operators.

Overall, Rocket Lab has deployed three Electron missions for iQPS with 100% mission success: 'The Lightning God Reigns' and 'The Sea God Sees' were successfully deployed to space by Electron earlier this year as the first two missions of an eight-launch contract across 2025 and 2026 for iQPS; while an additional third launch, 'The Moon God Awakens,' was successfully launched in December 2023.

"The Mountain God Guards" will be Rocket Lab's eighth mission of 2025, its 66th Electron launch overall, and will bring the total number of satellites delivered to space by Electron to 227.

"The Mountain God Guards" mission information here