Latest news with #iQPS
NZ Herald
20-05-2025
- Science
- NZ Herald
Rocket Lab-launched satellites to help Ukraine in war against Russia
Rocket Lab launched its third mission for iQPS from Māhia Peninsula, aiding Ukraine's military. Japan agreed to provide Ukraine with advanced synthetic aperture radar imagery from iQPS satellites. Ukraine increased its satellite imagery purchases after the US temporarily suspended official support. By RNZ A group of satellites that Rocket Lab has helped put into space is poised to aid Ukraine's military in the war with Russia. Rocket Lab USA launched its third mission for Japanese company iQPS at the weekend from its spaceport on Mahia Peninsula. It has been widely reported that Japan has agreed to provide Ukraine's military intelligence agency for the first time with advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery from satellites run by iQPS (Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space).
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- Science
- RNZ News
Rocket Lab-launched satellites to help Ukraine in war against Russia
Rocket Lab mission about to launch at Māhia in 2024. Photo: Supplied / Rocket Lab A group of satellites that Rocket Lab has helped put into space is poised to aid Ukraine's military in the war with Russia. Rocket Lab USA launched its third mission for Japanese company iQPS at the weekend from its spaceport on Māhia Peninsula. It has been widely reported Japan has agreed to provide Ukraine's military intelligence agency for the first time with advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery from satellites run by iQPS (Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space). "Another fantastic launch by the Electron team to flawlessly deliver another iQPS mission to orbit," Rocket Lab founder Sir Peter Beck said on 17 May. Ukraine has been buying commercial satellite imagery since the war began but ramped up its quest for it early this year after the Trump Administration temporarily suspended its official satellite imagery support for Kiev. SAR can see through clouds to map two- or three-dimensional images. Last year, a Finnish start-up ICEYE, that operated the largest constellation of 48 SAR satellites, provided two-fifths of the targeting data used by Ukrainian intelligence for high-profile strikes on Russian logistics hubs. Based at Kyushu University, iQPS had five SAR observation satellites in orbit, and was aiming for three dozen; two of these were launched from Māhia in December 2023 and March this year. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Business Insider
18-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Rocket Lab launches third mission for iQPS
Rocket Lab (RKLB) USA successfully launched its third mission for Japanese customer, Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, iQPS. 'The Sea God Sees' mission successfully launched on Electron from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand at 8:17 p.m. NZT on May 17th, 2025. The mission carried iQPS' QPS-SAR-10, a synthetic aperture radar Earth-imaging satellite, to a 575km low Earth orbit, where it was deployed as part of iQPS' growing constellation. The mission was launched just weeks' after Rocket Lab's previous launch for iQPS was deployed on March 15, 2025 – demonstrating frequent, reliable, and dedicated small orbital launch for satellite operators with 100% mission success in 2025. Today's mission was the third overall launch for iQPS and the second in a multi-launch contract to launch eight missions for the company in 2025 and 2026. Four more launches are scheduled for launch this year, with the remaining two scheduled for 2026. Rocket Lab's next mission for iQPS is scheduled to launch in less than a month's time, from no earlier than June 2025. Confident Investing Starts Here:
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California firm Rocket Lab launches third satellite for Japanese company
May 17 (UPI) -- American aerospace firm Rocket Lab on Saturday carried a successful launch mission from its facility in New Zealand. The California-based publicly-traded company completed its third mission for Japanese firm the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, using one its partially-reusable Electron orbital launch vehicle. "Another fantastic launch by the Electron team to flawlessly deliver another iQPS mission to orbit," Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said in a statement on the company's website. "Constellation deployment requires a reliable rocket with pinpoint orbital deployment accuracy that allows for the seamless integration of the latest spacecraft to the constellation - and that's exactly the service Electron continues to provide as the global leading launcher for small satellite missions. With another mission lined up with iQPS in just a few short weeks, we're looking forward to supporting their constellation with multiple missions this year and next." The mission delivered a synthetic aperture radar Earth-imaging satellite, into low Earth orbit, approximately 357 miles above the planet. Liftoff from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand occurred at 8:17 p.m. NZST Saturday, marking the company's 64th mission overall using the Electron rocket. Rocket Lab's contract with the Japanese company stipulates five further launches through next year. Four of those are set to take place in 2025, beginning next month, as the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space continues building its constellation of satellites. "We are truly delighted to have successfully launched our 10th satellite into orbit just two months after the launch of our QPS-SAR-9," iQPS CEO Shunsuke Onishi said in the Rocket Lab media release. "This achievement is a remarkable milestone to the outstanding technical capabilities of our development team, and we are deeply grateful to Rocket Lab team for enabling such a precise and agile launch. With more Electron launches ahead, we're more committed than ever to accelerating the buildout of our satellite constellation, and we look forward to continuing this powerful partnership."
UPI
17-05-2025
- Business
- UPI
California firm Rocket Lab launches third satellite for Japanese company
Mission success for Electron's 64th launch! See ya later to "The Sea God Sees" and welcome to space again @QPS_Inc. Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) May 17, 2025 May 17 (UPI) -- American aerospace firm Rocket Lab on Saturday carried a successful launch mission from its facility in New Zealand. The California-based publicly-traded company completed its third mission for Japanese firm the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, using one its partially-reusable Electron orbital launch vehicle. "Another fantastic launch by the Electron team to flawlessly deliver another iQPS mission to orbit," Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said in a statement on the company's website. "Constellation deployment requires a reliable rocket with pinpoint orbital deployment accuracy that allows for the seamless integration of the latest spacecraft to the constellation - and that's exactly the service Electron continues to provide as the global leading launcher for small satellite missions. With another mission lined up with iQPS in just a few short weeks, we're looking forward to supporting their constellation with multiple missions this year and next." The mission delivered a synthetic aperture radar Earth-imaging satellite, into low Earth orbit, approximately 357 miles above the planet. Liftoff from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand occurred at 8:17 p.m. NZST Saturday, marking the company's 64th mission overall using the Electron rocket. Rocket Lab's contract with the Japanese company stipulates five further launches through next year. Four of those are set to take place in 2025, beginning next month, as the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space continues building its constellation of satellites. "We are truly delighted to have successfully launched our 10th satellite into orbit just two months after the launch of our QPS-SAR-9," iQPS CEO Shunsuke Onishi said in the Rocket Lab media release. "This achievement is a remarkable milestone to the outstanding technical capabilities of our development team, and we are deeply grateful to Rocket Lab team for enabling such a precise and agile launch. With more Electron launches ahead, we're more committed than ever to accelerating the buildout of our satellite constellation, and we look forward to continuing this powerful partnership."
