The mission, titled “Nation God Navigates”, lifted off from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula at 7:51pm UTC on 5 November.
The Electron rocket carried a single synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite QPS-SAR-14 – nicknamed Yachihoko-I after a Japanese deity of nation-building – into a 575-kilometre circular orbit.
This launch was Rocket Lab’s 74th Electron mission overall and the sixth dedicated flight for iQPS, making the company the most frequent launcher of the Japanese firm’s growing Earth-imaging constellation.
The two companies recently signed an extended multi-launch agreement that will see Rocket Lab conduct six additional missions to help complete the iQPS network in low-Earth orbit.
Rocket Lab founder and chief executive Sir Peter Beck said the success underscored the company’s reliability and precision.
“Success in the space industry boils down to precision and repeatability,” Beck said. “This latest mission for iQPS once again demonstrates the pinpoint accuracy our customers depend on to grow their constellations. With six seamless deployments for iQPS in the books, Electron is ready for the next six.”
iQPS chief executive Dr Shunsuke Onishi said the launch marked a significant step forward for the Japanese company’s ambitions.
“We are pleased to announce the successful deployment of QPS-SAR-14 Yachihoko-I, marking our fifth successful launch this year,” Onishi said.
Onishi added, “This milestone reflects the steady advancement of our technology and the growth of our team. With this success, we move closer to realising our vision of near real-time Earth observation and delivering greater value to society.”
The Nation God Navigates mission was Rocket Lab’s 16th launch of 2025, equalling its record number of annual launches set in 2024. With several more Electron missions scheduled before the year’s end and preparations underway for the first flight of its medium-lift, Rocket Lab’s reusable Neutron rocket appears on track for another record-breaking year in orbit.