Rocket Lab has secured a new multi-launch agreement with Japanese satellite operator iQPS, with the company set to carry out three additional dedicated Electron launches from its Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula over the next two years.
The latest contract builds on an already substantial relationship between the two companies. Once completed, Rocket Lab will have flown 10 dedicated missions for iQPS, supporting the deployment of the company’s growing constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites designed to provide high-resolution Earth imagery regardless of weather conditions or time of day.
The additional launches underscore the increasing demand for dedicated small satellite launch services, where customers can deploy spacecraft directly into their required orbit without relying on larger rideshare missions.
iQPS is developing a 36-satellite radar imaging constellation capable of delivering near real-time Earth observation for commercial, government and security customers. Unlike traditional optical imaging satellites, SAR systems can capture imagery through cloud cover and during darkness, making them increasingly valuable for disaster response, maritime surveillance, environmental monitoring and defence applications.
For Rocket Lab, the agreement represents another vote of confidence in the Electron launch vehicle, which has established itself as one of the world’s most active dedicated small satellite launch systems. The company has continued to increase its launch cadence while expanding beyond launch services into satellite manufacturing, spacecraft components and end-to-end space systems.
The deal also reinforces New Zealand’s growing role as a global launch hub. Rocket Lab’s privately operated launch complex on the Māhia Peninsula has become one of the busiest orbital launch sites outside the United States, supporting commercial, civil and national security missions for customers across the world.
The contract comes amid a period of sustained momentum for Rocket Lab, which has continued to expand its commercial and government launch business while investing heavily in its larger Neutron launch vehicle and broader space systems portfolio. With demand for sovereign Earth observation and rapid satellite deployment continuing to grow, long-term launch agreements such as the iQPS partnership are becoming an increasingly important part of the company’s business model.
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