Rocket Lab successfully launched a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite for Japanese Earth-observation company iQPS early Tuesday morning, marking another step forward in building out a powerful global satellite constellation.
Rocket Lab Electron rocket launches “The Harvest Goddess Thrives” mission on Aug. 5, 2025, sending a synthetic aperture radar satellite aloft for the Japanese Earth-observing company iQPS from New Zealand. Ccredit: Rocket Lab
At exactly 12:10 a.m. EDT (0410 GMT / 4:10 p.m. local time), Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket lifted off from the company’s launch site on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula. The payload, QPS-SAR-12, nicknamed "Kushinada-I" after a Japanese goddess of harvest and prosperity, was deployed into a 575-kilometer circular orbit roughly 54 minutes after launch, Rocket Lab confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The mission, dubbed “The Harvest Goddess Thrives,” is the fifth time Rocket Lab has launched a satellite for iQPS and represents the 69th orbital flight overall for the Electron rocket.
Kushinada-I now becomes the 12th satellite in the QPS-SAR constellation, which is designed to deliver high-resolution radar imagery of Earth, regardless of weather conditions or time of day. Synthetic aperture radar is capable of penetrating cloud cover and darkness, offering continuous monitoring capabilities that are critical for a range of applications from disaster response to infrastructure management.
iQPS has ambitious plans to expand its constellation to 36 satellites, which the company says will transform industries through real-time Earth observation. According to Rocket Lab’s mission documentation, QPS-SAR satellites can track moving objects, and when combined with weather, market, and economic data, offer predictive analytics for sectors such as agriculture, urban safety, national security, and economic forecasting.
View from the second stage of the Electron during the launch of “The Harvest Goddess Thrives”. Electron’s first stage is visible in the background falling back to Earth. Credit: Rocket Lab
“The data gathered by QPS-SAR constellation has the potential to revolutionize industries and reshape the future,” Rocket Lab stated in its official press release.
This latest flight also underscores Rocket Lab’s growing portfolio. In addition to its Electron rocket—which stands 59 feet (18 meters) tall and is purpose-built for launching small satellites—the company also operates HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron), a suborbital variant for hypersonic testing. Rocket Lab is also developing a larger next-generation launcher called Neutron, which is expected to debut later this year.
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