Rocket Lab successfully launched a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellite for a Japanese customer on March 14, marking the first of eight planned missions under contract with the company.
A Rocket Lab Electron lifts off carrying a SAR satellite for Japanese company iQPS. Credit: Rocket Lab
The Electron rocket lifted off from Pad B at Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Nearly an hour later, the QPS-SAR-9 satellite successfully separated from the rocket’s kick stage, reaching its target orbit of 575 kilometers with a 42-degree inclination.
The satellite was developed by Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS), a Japanese company aiming to build a constellation of 36 SAR satellites to deliver high-resolution radar imagery. This mission marks the beginning of Rocket Lab’s multi-launch partnership with iQPS.
In February 2025, Rocket Lab announced two contracts with the Japanese firm, covering eight launches, each carrying a single SAR satellite. The company plans to conduct six of these missions this year, with the remaining two scheduled for 2026.
This launch is the second Rocket Lab has performed for iQPS, following the successful deployment of the QPS-SAR-5 satellite in December 2023.
The QPS-SAR-9 mission was Rocket Lab’s third launch of 2025, with the company rapidly ramping up its flight rate. The next mission, scheduled for as early as March 17, will carry the final five Kinéis tracking satellites into orbit.
Rocket Lab has ambitious plans for the year, with CEO Peter Beck previously stating that the company aims for over 20 Electron launches in 2025, including both orbital missions and flights of its suborbital HASTE variant.
“To hit scale is a really important part of the equation,” said Brian Rogers, Rocket Lab’s vice president of global launch services, during the Satellite 2025 conference on March 10. “Being able to hit cadence by any means necessary is the secret sauce.”
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