The mission, titled “The Harvest Goddess Thrives”, lifted off from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s North Island at 04:10 UTC on 5 August (4:10pm NZT). The Electron rocket placed a single satellite, QPS-SAR-12 – nicknamed KUSHINADA-I after the Japanese goddess of harvest and agriculture – into a 575-kilometre circular orbit.
This launch marks Rocket Lab’s fourth for iQPS this year and its fifth overall for the company, making Electron the most frequently used launch vehicle for iQPS’ growing constellation. An additional four missions are slated through late 2025 and into 2026, reinforcing Rocket Lab’s role as a key launch provider for the Japanese satellite operator.
“Every Electron launch is a demonstration of precision payload delivery – something that’s critical when deploying satellite constellations,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck. “This flawless fifth launch for iQPS highlights not only Electron’s reliability, but our ability to provide consistent, tailored access to orbit for our customers.”
iQPS CEO Dr Shunsuke Onishi echoed those sentiments, highlighting the importance of accurate and timely launches for the company’s strategy.
“Building a satellite constellation requires more than just advanced development and manufacturing – it demands precise and dependable launch execution,” Dr Onishi said. “Thanks to the ongoing efforts of both our team and the Rocket Lab crew, we’re accelerating our ability to provide valuable satellite data across a wider range of applications and industries.”
The Harvest Goddess Thrives mission was Rocket Lab’s 11th Electron launch in 2025, continuing a rapid cadence of commercial missions. The company is expected to announce details of its next launch in the coming days.
Headquartered in Long Beach, California, with launch facilities in New Zealand and Virginia, Rocket Lab is a global leader in small satellite launch services and space systems.