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

Business Wire

03-06-2025

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) ('Rocket Lab' or 'the Company'), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today 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: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission
'The Mountain God Guards' launch window opens:
15:45 UTC, June 10 th
11:45 am Eastern, June 10 th
8:45 am Pacific, June 10 th
3:45 am NZT, June 11 th
About Rocket Lab
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, a family of spacecraft platforms, and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered over 200 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab's spacecraft platforms have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia.
Forward Looking Statements
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