Rocket Lab has successfully completed its 92nd Electron mission, launching another synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite for Japanese Earth-imaging company iQPS from New Zealand.
The mission, named “The Grain Goddess Provides”, lifted off from Launch Complex 1 on the Māhia Peninsula at 9:18pm NZST on 6 August, carrying iQPS’ QPS-SAR-13 satellite into low-Earth orbit.
The successful flight marked Rocket Lab’s 13th Electron launch of 2026 and the eighth iQPS QPS-SAR satellite successfully deployed by the company. Rocket Lab has now achieved a 100 per cent mission success rate across its iQPS launches.
QPS-SAR-13, also known as MIKURA-I, will join iQPS’ growing constellation of synthetic aperture radar satellites, designed to provide high-resolution Earth imagery regardless of daylight or weather conditions.
Unlike conventional optical Earth observation satellites, SAR spacecraft can image the Earth’s surface through cloud cover and at night, making the technology particularly valuable for applications requiring persistent and reliable monitoring.
The iQPS constellation is ultimately planned to comprise 36 satellites operating across multiple orbital planes, with the distributed architecture designed to provide frequent revisit opportunities and near-real-time Earth observation.
Rocket Lab builds momentum with iQPS
The latest launch further cements Rocket Lab’s position as a key launch provider for iQPS, which has committed to a substantial program of dedicated Electron missions to deploy its growing constellation.
A further 10 dedicated Electron launches are already booked by iQPS, with the remaining missions expected to support completion of the constellation before 2030.
The relationship has become one of Electron’s most significant recurring commercial launch programs, providing iQPS with dedicated access to orbit while allowing the Japanese company to progressively deploy spacecraft into the orbital planes required for its constellation.
Rocket Lab has also recently secured a further three dedicated Electron missions from iQPS, taking the total number of contracted launches under the broader partnership to 18.
The latest launch follows a five-week delay after a previous Electron launch attempt carrying the satellite was aborted shortly before lift-off.
The successful mission demonstrates the flexibility of Rocket Lab’s launch operation and its ability to rapidly return Electron to flight following an aborted attempt.
92 Electron missions and counting
“The Grain Goddess Provides” represents Rocket Lab’s 92nd overall Electron mission and its 13th flight of 2026, highlighting the increasing tempo of the company’s dedicated small-launch operations.
The company is continuing to target a higher launch cadence as demand grows across commercial, civil and government customers.
Electron’s next scheduled mission is also an iQPS launch, with the company preparing to deploy another QPS-SAR spacecraft on the “The Lightning God Defends” mission later this month from Launch Complex 1.
The growing iQPS program comes as Rocket Lab continues to position Electron as a dedicated launch solution for satellite constellation operators requiring control over orbital insertion and launch timing.
For iQPS, the ability to secure repeated dedicated launches provides a pathway to rapidly build its radar constellation without relying solely on rideshare opportunities, where spacecraft must generally accept the launch provider’s chosen orbit and deployment schedule.
SAR constellation expands Japan’s Earth observation capability
The QPS-SAR constellation is being developed around small, high-performance synthetic aperture radar satellites capable of collecting imagery during both day and night and through adverse weather conditions.
The technology has applications spanning disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, environmental observation and other time-sensitive Earth observation requirements.
As additional QPS-SAR spacecraft enter orbit, the constellation’s growing number of satellites will progressively improve its ability to revisit locations around the world and deliver timely imagery.
The eighth successful iQPS deployment by Electron therefore represents more than another commercial launch milestone for Rocket Lab – it is another step towards establishing a persistent, distributed radar-based Earth observation network.
With another 10 dedicated Electron missions already booked and further launches planned, the iQPS program is set to remain a major contributor to Rocket Lab’s launch cadence through the remainder of the decade.
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