Rocket Lab successfully launched an Earth-observing radar satellite into orbit on Wednesday morning for Japanese company iQPS, marking the company’s eighth mission of 2025 and its 66th Electron rocket flight overall.
Liftoff occurred at 11:31 a.m. EDT (1531 GMT; 3:31 a.m. local time on June 12) from Rocket Lab’s launch complex in New Zealand. The Electron rocket carried the QPS-SAR-11 satellite, also known as Yamatsumi-1, a name honoring a Japanese mountain deity. The mission itself was aptly titled “The Mountain God Guards.”
If all proceeds according to plan, the satellite will be deployed into a circular orbit 357 miles (575 kilometers) above Earth approximately 51 minutes after launch.
The QPS-SAR-11 satellite is the latest addition to iQPS’s growing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation, which is designed to capture high-resolution images of Earth in all weather conditions, both day and night. This marks the 10th SAR satellite launched by the company, which ultimately aims to build a constellation of 36 satellites.
According to Rocket Lab, this full constellation will allow iQPS to deliver “NearReal-Time Data Provisioning Services,” offering global observations at roughly 10-minute intervals. The technology enables monitoring of not only stationary objects like buildings and landscapes, but also moving targets such as vehicles, ships, and livestock.
Today’s launch is the fourth mission Rocket Lab has conducted for iQPS, short for Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space. It also marks the third of eight contracted launches planned between 2025 and 2026 for the Japanese firm, highlighting the growing collaboration between the two companies.
The 59-foot-tall (18-meter) Electron rocket is designed to provide dedicated rides to orbit for small satellites — a role it continues to fulfill with increasing frequency in the evolving space economy.
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